The Girl in the Alley
by hellogoodbye57
Summary: Follows Ghosts of the Past. A body is found in an alley by a young girl with whom Booth and Brennan bond. Case fic but with plenty of fluff and BB. Again, it's basically a little bit of everything.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: So after the excellent response to my last two stories, I decided to start on a third. And it's summer and I don't have work for a few weeks, so I have a lot of spare time. That means updates will be fairly frequent for now though once school starts up again, I can't promise anything. But anyway, here's the third installment in my Booth/Brennan series.

Chapter 1

Special Agent Seeley Booth pulled the FBI-issued black SUV onto the highway, merging smoothly into the light late-morning traffic. He passed a folder of information to the woman sitting in his passenger's seat, happy to once again have the use of both of his arms after nearly a month without his left one. "A body was discovered in a small back alley in downtown DC," he explained as she opened the folder. "Since it was murder in DC, the case got kicked to the FBI. The first agents on the scene took one look at the body and called us in."

Brennan looked down at the picture of the badly decomposed corpse in the folder. "You said it was found in an alley?" she questioned.

"Yeah. Their first thought was that some drug addict simply OD'd, but then they noticed this." Booth pointed to the victim's neck and wrist. "A fairly expensive bracelet and necklace. Most drug addicts don't have expensive jewelry. They also don't have four-hundred dollar shoes," Booth added, pointing to the feet.

"So who is it then?"

"They don't know. That's why they called us in."

"I'm surprised none of these objects were taken," Brennan remarked.

"So were the other agents. But evidently the body was hidden pretty well behind some cardboard boxes and other refuse." Booth turned onto a side street, stopping the SUV behind two others. He stepped out and waited for Brennan to make her way around the car before they walked to the crime scene together. When they reached the alley, Brennan made her way immediately to the mangled body lying on the ground, half covered by a cardboard box. Booth hung back slightly, still overwhelmed by the stench even after so many years as an FBI agent.

"Victim's female," Brennan announced, crouching down beside her. "Caucasian. Probably late teens or early twenties."

"Cause of death?"

Brennan carefully removed the cardboard, her trained eyes surveying the bones slowly. "There is a bullet wound to the upper right torso. The positioning suggests that it most likely pierced a lung. I'll be able to tell more once we get the body back to the lab." Booth nodded, distracted by a commotion in one corner of the alley.

"What's going on over here?" he questioned, approaching another agent.

"I found the kid who called the body in," the agent explained, indicating a scrawny girl whose skinny arm was held tightly in his hand. The girl's clothes were ripped and dirty, and filth covered her face and most of her body. She looked up at the agent with defiant green eyes, struggling to escape his grip.

"I told you, I don't know nothin'. I found some bones, so I called 911. I thought you guys'd be happy. Now let me go!"

"Not so fast, missy, I want to know how you found the bones," the agent told her. She responded by glaring up at him, her thin lips set in a scowl.

"Let her go," Booth told the officer. The other man looked at Booth, clearly unwilling to do as he asked. "I said let her go," Booth repeated. For a moment, it looked as if Booth would have to pull rank, but after a few seconds, the agent sighed and released the girl's arm. She immediately attempted to escape down the alley, but Booth moved to block her exit. When she tried to sidestep him, he moved again. They continued the odd dance for a few more seconds before Booth asked, "So where exactly are you going in such a hurry?"

"I need to get Noah and Chance," the girl explained as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Noah and Chance, huh?" Booth asked, figuring they were stuffed toys or some similar sentimental objects. "Well, what do you say I come with you, and we'll get them together?" The girl looked up at him, studying him carefully for a moment.

Eventually, she seemed to come to the conclusion that he was trustworthy, for she shrugged. "Okay. Come on." This time when she stepped forward, Booth did not block her path; instead, he followed her farther back into the alley.

"What's your name, sweetheart?" he inquired as they walked.

"Kristen," she answered shortly.

"And where is your mommy, Kristen?"

Sadness flashed briefly in Kristen's eyes. "She's dead," the girl answered shortly. "She died last week. It's just me, Noah, and Chance now."

"Kristen, the woman you discovered back there, was that-"

Booth did not receive a chance to finish his sentence before Kristen interrupted. "No, that wasn't her. I don't know who that was."

"And did you see anyone hanging around when you found her?"

"Uh-uh. I just wanted some more boxes 'cuz a couple of the ones I have are leakin'. I went to pull those up, and I saw. . .that." She shivered.

"Have you ever noticed anyone strange around there? Or maybe you've heard something strange?" Again, a shake of the head answered his question.

"I don't know who did that. I just found her."

"Kristen, how old are you, sweetheart?"

"Almost eight."

"And you've been living here by yourself since your mom died?"

"Not by myself. I've got Noah and Chance."

Booth sighed. There was something different about the girl in front of him, something special. He could already tell that she was strong and independent; the fact that she had survived on the streets by herself for a week was a miracle in itself and a testament to her ability to survive. But he could not allow her to continue to live like she was. It was no way for a child to grow up, constantly wondering when the next meal would come or when a strung out junkie might come across a weapon and just start shooting. Kids needed stability. They needed a place to go at night with a warm meal and a roof over their heads. They needed someone to care for them, someone to help them with their homework and go to their Little League games. The streets were no place for children. "Kristen, once we get Noah and Chance, what do you say to coming with me?" Booth suggested.

Kristen shook her head emphatically. "No. The other kids told me 'bout the foster system. I'm better off by myself with Noah and Chance."

Booth thought quickly, wondering if he should make a promise which he might be unable to keep. However, one look at the malnourished girl in front of him made up his mind fairly quickly. "I won't put you in the foster system," he told Kristen. "But I still think you should come stay with me. You shouldn't be living out her by yourself." He followed Kristen around another turn which led to yet another darkened alley. It was truly a maze; Booth hoped Kristen knew where she was going because he had lost track awhile back.

Kristen stopped and studied Booth carefully. "You an FBI agent?" she asked.

"Special Agent Seeley Booth." Booth showed her his badge.

She giggled. "Seeley. That's a funny name."

"So I've heard. So what do you say to staying with me for awhile?"

"Can Noah and Chance come, too?"

"Sure," Booth agreed, figuring he should allow the girl to have whatever made her comfortable and made the transition easier.

"Okay. But no foster system." The girl shook her finger at Booth, and he had to bite his lip to stop himself from laughing at her.

"No foster system," Booth reiterated.

"Pinky swear." The girl held out a small, dirty finger, and Booth locked his own around it.

"Pinky swear," he agreed. The girl nodded before disappearing behind some cardboard boxes. She emerged a few seconds later carrying a tiny, sleeping baby.

"This is Noah," she introduced. "He's my brother. My mommy died while he was being borned, but she made me promise to take care of him. And this," she pulled a box out from her makeshift shelter, "is Chance. I found him yesterday. His mommy died, too, and all his brothers and sisters." Booth leaned over to peer inside the box and saw that it contained a small puppy who could not have been more than four or five weeks old. He looked back at Kristen who was watching him expectantly. What had he gotten himself into?


	2. Chapter 2

So here's chapter 2. So I know some of the stuff that happens in this chapter and the next would probably never happen in real life, but I personally think it makes for a more interesting story. I try to make facts as accurate as possible and make the events and characters as believable as possible, but every now and then, I exercise my creative license. If something really bugs you or if you find a glaring mistake, feel free to tell me, and I'll be happy to change it. Especially if it's the science. I'm especially anal about making the science in my stories accurate.

So, on to the story (with all the usual disclaimers of course)

Chapter 2

"Bones, are you finished here yet?" Booth called to his partner when he returned to the crime scene. She pushed her hair out of her eyes and stood, turning to face him.

"Yes. I need to get the body back to the lab, and the surrounding garbage should be sent to Hodgins for-" She broke off suddenly as she noticed Booth's new companions. He held a tiny baby cuddled against his chest, and a small girl trailed behind him carrying a box which was much too large for her. "Booth?"

"Meet Noah, Kristen, and Chance," Booth introduced, indicating each one in turn. "Kristen's the one who discovered the body. They're going to be staying with me for a little while. Kristen, meet Dr. Temperance Brennan."

"You can call me Tempe," Brennan told the girl, holding out a hand. Kristen took it warily and shook. Brennan peered into the box that she held, noticing the small puppy curled up inside it. "He probably has fleas," she remarked.

"I know," Booth said. "I figured I'd pick up some flea shampoo on the way back."

Brennan shook her head. "No, you shouldn't use the shampoo on a puppy that small. Use detergent and a flea comb; it's much safer."

"Since when are you an expert?" Booth questioned.

"I had considered getting a dog, so I have done extensive research."

"Then maybe you can tell me what to feed him."

"I assume the mother's not around."

"You assume correctly."

"Well, the puppy's probably only about four weeks old or so, so he's just begun weaning. The best thing to do is to get puppy milk and blend it and some water with a little bit of puppy food so it's easy to eat. Gradually increase the amount of puppy food and decrease the amount of milk and water you add each day until he's eating more food than water and milk. They you can just start feeding him puppy food." Booth nodded.

"Okay. I guess we need to stop and pick up some stuff. Then, we can go back to my apartment so I can get these guys cleaned up and fed. We'll grab some lunch while we're there, too."

"I need to examine the body," Brennan told him.

"It can wait," Booth assured her. "Besides, it'll take awhile for them to get everything to the Jeffersonian anyway. Please, Bones? I could really use your help on this."

Brennan sighed. "Fine."

A half hour stop at a Wal Mart on the way to Booth's apartment provided everything they needed, including a change of clothes for both Noah and Kristen. When they reached Booth's apartment, he handed Chance over to Brennan. "Would you mind taking care of him while I get these two cleaned up?" he questioned. Brennan took the box without complaint, carrying the dog up to Booth's apartment. After setting the making the food, milk, and water mix, she ran warm water in the sink, took off her jacket, and began to wash the puppy.

Booth was having a slightly more difficult time with his task. Kristen was not too keen on the idea of taking a bath, and Noah woke up as Booth was trying to convince her to climb into the tub. The baby immediately began to wail, forcing Booth to deal with both an upset infant and an obstinate child, a task he would have just as soon avoided. The promise of food finally enticed Kristen into the tub, and she managed to bathe herself with minimal help as Booth took care of Noah.

At long last, Booth pulled the drain on the tub and emerged from the bathroom with two clean children and a damp spot on his undershirt (he had had the foresight to remove his suit jacket and dress shirt). Noah was still crying, and Booth quickly pulled the formula he had bought out and warmed it up. As soon as the bottle was in the baby's mouth, Noah quieted and began to suck greedily. Brennan looked up from where she was crouched on the floor, watching the small puppy eagerly devour his food. "How old is he?" Brennan questioned, nodding to the baby.

"Noah? He was born a week ago, right?" Booth turned to Kristen who nodded. "And you took care of him for that whole time?"

Kristen nodded again. "It wasn't hard. I helped other people with their babies 'fore. Mommy already had diapers and stuff, and I knew how to change 'em and wash 'em out. And one of the other mommies, her name's Kendra, she gave me a bottle 'cuz her baby's big enough now that she didn't need it no more. And she told me 'bout a shelter that would give me milk. It wasn't hard."

"Was he born in a hospital?" Brennan inquired.

"Nope," Kristen answered. "Mommy said she didn't need no doctors, that she had me without them, and she could have Noah without them, too. Said it was more natural that way. But then she started bleeding everywhere and screamin', and I knew somethin' was wrong. I tried to find a doctor, but I didn't know where to look. Mommy told me not to worry 'bout it. Said everything would be okay. Then she told me to go down and catch Noah, so I did, and I cut the cord with the knife just like she showed me. He was really nasty when he came out, but I cleaned him up good in the river. Mommy told me to take good care of him, said she knew I'd do fine. Then she closed her eyes. I thought she was sleepin' at first, but she didn't wake up again." Kristen looked up at Booth, tears gathering in the corner of her brilliant green eyes. "I miss my mommy. Why'd she have to go?"

"Shh, sweetheart, it's okay," Booth soothed, passing Noah to Brennan so he could wrap his arms around her. "Sometimes, it's just a person's time to go. But I'm sure your mommy loved you very much, and I'm sure she's watching over you in heaven." He looked up, and his eyes met Brennan's. He saw the affection in her eyes as she looked down at the sobbing child he held and the small infant in her own arms who would never know his mother. He knew she was thinking of her own parents, remembering her own anguish when they had left and again when they had found her mother's body. And in that moment, he knew that she would help him do whatever it took to ensure that the two children they held would not have to endure any further pain or heartbreak.

After a few minutes, Kristen's sobs began to subside, and she slowly pulled out of Booth's embrace. Noah had finished eating by this time, and he pushed the nipple of the bottle out of his mouth though he continued to make small sucking motions with his mouth. Brennan hesitantly raised him to her shoulder, remembering Booth's instructions when she had cared for Andy. Before she could begin to pat him on the back, however, Booth grabbed an old dishtowel from a drawer and draped it over her shoulder. "Trust me on this one, Bones. You'll need it." Lifting Kristen easily, he placed her on one of the stools at the counter. "Now, what do you say we get something to eat?" he suggested. Kristen nodded eagerly.

"I like you, Agent Booth," she declared as he pulled the bread and peanut butter out of a cabinet. "You're nice."

"Why thank you, Ms. Kristen," he said, making her giggle. "But you can just call me Booth. Don't worry about the agent part. PB&J okay with you?"

"Peanut butter and jelly?" she questioned, her eyes wide. "Yay, my favorite!"

"Good. Because I've heard that I make the best PB&J around." He smiled at her as he began to fix the sandwiches. As he worked, he kept up a conversation with Kristen, trying to discover more about her family without bringing up too many bad memories. "So, do you know your daddy, sweetheart?" he asked gently.

Kristen shook her head. "No, Mommy said he left when I was little. Said he wasn't ready for the responsibility." She pronounced the word carefully, enunciating each syllable. "I asked her what he was like sometimes, but she didn't like to talk about him. She just always told me that it didn't matter, that we had each other and that was all that mattered. Now, I don't even have her." Her lips turned downward, and her eyes fell so that they were focused on the patterns in the marble of the counter.

"Hey, you've got me now," Booth told her, placing a plate with a sandwich, chips, apple slices, and carrots in front of her. "And Noah and Chance. And Tempe."

"Are you guys going to adopt me n' Noah?"

Booth's eyes met Brennan's. "We'll talk about that later. Right now, you need to eat up. Bones and I need to get back to work."

"Who's Bones?"

"Tempe."

"Why do you call her Bones?"

"Because she works with bones. Man, you sure are nosy." Booth fixed two more sandwiches, passing one to Brennan. "Here, I'll take him," he offered, holding his hands out. She transferred Noah, who had fallen asleep on her shoulder, to his waiting arms. Booth shifted the baby to one arm and began to eat with the other.

"Do you have any kids?" Kristen inquired.

"I have a son. His name is Parker. He'll be seven next month."

"Is Tempe his mother?"

"No. His mother and I don't live together."

"Oh. Why?"

Booth sighed. "It's complicated."

"That's what Mommy used to say when I asked 'bout her and Daddy."

Kristen chattered away for the rest of the meal, asking both Booth and Brennan countless questions. Booth knew she was still hurting, but he also knew that she was tough, that she could handle the pain. But she was not even eight yet; she should not have to handle it.

After they finished lunch, Brennan helped Kristen make a place to keep the puppy out of a large cardboard box covered with newspapers and a blanket in one corner for his bed. Booth gathered the kids' clothes and placed them in a bag with the blanket the puppy had originally been wrapped in, throwing all of it into the dumpster outside his apartment. Booth and Brennan wanted to leave the puppy at the apartment, but Kristen refused to leave him behind. Eventually, they grew tired of arguing with the stubborn girl and agreed to bring Chance with them as they headed back to work. Brennan blended up a second batch of puppy food, knowing that they would need to feed Chance again later, and Booth packed a bag with the formula, bottles, and diapers they had bought for Noah. He also presented Kristen with a doll that he had picked up for her at the store, hoping that the toy would keep her occupied while they were working.

They debated where to take the kids and puppy while they were working; it was eventually decided that they would be better off at the Jeffersonian since Cam would probably be more amenable to having them there than Cullen would be to having them at the Hoover. When Brennan walked into the lab carrying the box, Angela stopped her almost immediately. "Where have you been?" the nosy artist asked. In answer, Brennan tilted her head to point out Booth who was walking a few paces behind her carrying both Noah and his bag and chatting amicably with Kristen. Angela's eyebrows shot up. "Sweetie, you have a lot of explaining to do."

"Kristen is the one who discovered the body. The baby is her little brother, Noah, and this is their dog, Chance. Booth found them while we were at the scene, and he couldn't just leave them on the street."

"So you brought them with you?"

"We didn't know what else to do with them."

"I've got some paperwork to finish and some calls to make," Booth announced, approaching the two women. "So I'll just hang out in your office with these guys and do that while you do your bone thing," Booth told Brennan. She nodded, following him into her office to deposit the puppy.

Two hours later, Brennan was on the platform examining the body they had found in the alley. It had been stripped of all the flesh earlier, leaving only the off-white bones for her and Wendell to examine. A loud cry suddenly sounded from the direction of her office, followed shortly by the low, soothing timbre of Booth's voice. Brennan could not make out the words from where she was standing, but she knew it was the tone of voice which mattered more anyway, and Booth's was obviously calming. After a minute or so, she heard the cries start to diminish until they stopped entirely. "What was that?" Cam questioned, appearing outside her office.

"That was Noah," Brennan explained.

"Noah?"

"Yes. Booth found his sister and him near our crime scene. His sister is the one who actually found the body. He's taking care of them now."

Cam closed her eyes and sighed. "How do you two always end up finding infants?"

"I don't find them; it's usually Booth." Brennan bent closer to the victim, noting a mark on the bones which Wendell promptly catalogued. Cam shook her head and made her way around the platform to Brennan's office.

When Cam opened the door, she was greeted by a sight that made her want to return to her office to retrieve her camera. Seeley Booth, the big, tough, hard-as-steel FBI agent was pacing the room holding an infant who could not have weighed more than six or seven pounds. The baby was dwarfed by Booth's large frame; he rested against a dish towel Booth had thrown over his shoulder. A tie hung loose around Booth's neck, untied but not removed; his suit jacket, however, had been removed, revealing the gun carried in his shoulder holster. He looked up at her as she entered, the picture-perfect image of a working father. "Well, Seeley, seems like you have some explaining to do," Cam remarked with a smirk. Booth put a finger to his lips, glaring at Cam as he pointed first at Kristen who was curled up on Brennan's couch and then at the half-asleep infant in his arms. "Okay, okay, I get it!" she whispered, throwing up her hands and leaving the room.

Ten minutes later, Booth joined Brennan on the central platform. "So, what do we have?" he questioned. She turned to face him.

"Where are the kids?"

"They're both asleep in your office."

"My initial inclination about cause of death was correct. The bullet appears to have entered here." She pointed to a spot on the right side of his chest. "It would have entered the lung and traveled straight through it before lodging itself in the back part of rib four. I've extracted the bullet; it appears to be a .45. Hodgins has it; he's analyzing it now."

"Anything else?"

"There are a number of stress fractures on the tibia, indicating repeated use."

"A runner?" She looked up at him in surprise, and he threw his hands in the air. "Hey, I listen more than you think."

"Not necessarily a runner; a number of sports can account for these fractures. There are also small stress fractures in the rotor cuff of the shoulder. But the most telling injury was revealed before we removed all the flesh. There was some tearing to the patellar tendon. It's an injury commonly known as-"

"Jumper's knee," Booth interrupted. Again, Brennan looked up at him in confusion. "Three years of varsity basketball," he told her. "So she played ball, huh?"

"Yes. You should check missing person's for any college student who plays women's basketball," Brennan informed him.

"You got a face for me?"

"Wendell is working on placing the markers on the skull right now so Angela can do the reconstruction."

Booth nodded. "Time of death?"

"Considering the temperature of the area where she was found and the state of decomposition of the body, I would say two to three weeks. Hodgins should be able to tell you more from the insect activity on the body."

"I certainly can. The body was covered in these babies." He held up two clear plastic containers, each with some form of bug that Booth could not identify. "Calliphoridae and Diptera larvae," Hodgins explained. "There were also piophilid and trichopterygid larvae. Based on the stage of the life cycle, she's been dead nine to eleven days." He smiled triumphantly.

"Good work, Hodgins. I'm going to start searching Missing Persons. Have Angela send me a face when she has it."

"Booth!" Brennan called, causing him to turn around. She nodded toward her office.

"They'll be out for another hour at least," Booth assured her. "If Noah wakes up, just feed him and change him if he needs it. Kristen should be fine on her own; I've given her some paper and crayons and a doll. She's pretty good at entertaining herself. Oh, and I called the social worker. She said she'll be at your apartment at 7:00 tonight so we can go over details of you fostering them."

"Booth!" she called again, but he was already gone, raising his hand over his head in a wave. Brennan sighed and looked back at the bones, wondering how she was expected to handle two kids, a puppy, and her job.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Once she had finished cataloguing all the injuries and had approved the tissue markers Wendell placed, Brennan walked back into her office to check on the kids. She found Kristen awake, holding Noah closely. The infant still slept soundly, content in his sister's arms. Brennan smiled at the two. Kristen seemed to have a good protective instinct.

"Tempe," Kristen greeted, seeing Brennan.

"Hi, Kristen. Did you have a nice nap?"

"Yeah. But I'm kinda hungry now."

Brennan nodded, having expected this. After so many years of malnourishment, it was only natural that Kristen should take every opportunity to eat. Approaching her desk, Brennan shuffled through some objects in the top drawer before finding a few granola bars and an apple. "Feel free to take whatever you want," she told the small girl, gesturing to the food. Kristen approached, offering Noah to Brennan who cuddled the baby to her chest. After some deliberation, Kristen took the apple and one of the granola bars. She tore open the wrapper and took a bite of the granola bar, chewing carefully as she took a seat on the couch again, her legs swinging beneath her.

"Are you and Booth married?" Kristen questioned.

Brennan laughed. "No."

"Are you going to get married?"

Brennan's knee-jerk reaction was to say no; after all, she did not believe in marriage. But something stopped her, and instead, she said, "I don't know."

"But you kiss and stuff, right?"

Brennan looked at her curiously. She did not recall kissing Booth in front of the girl, but Kristen had somehow still deduced that they were in a relationship. Brennan wondered if their relationship was that obvious to everyone. "Yes, we do kiss," Brennan answered. "But do you think you can keep quiet about that? Booth and I want to keep our relationship a secret for a little while longer."

"Why?"

"Because we're still trying to figure it out ourselves."

"What do you have to figure out?"

"How we're going to have a relationship and work together."

"Do you love him?"

"I do."

"And does he love you?"

"He does."

"Then what's the problem?"

"The problem is that we just want to settle down and make sure our relationship is on firm ground before we tell people about it."

Kristen continued to pepper Brennan with questions as Brennan began work on some paperwork for the case. The stream of questions finally stopped when Angela walked into the room. "I've got a face for your victim, Sweetie," she said, holding up a sheet of paper which showed a pretty young woman.

"Great. You should fax it over to Booth."

"No need. Booth is right here," Booth announced, walking into the room.

"Booth!" Kristen exclaimed, jumping off the couch and into his arms. He chuckled as he lifted her into the air.

"Hi, sweetheart, did you have fun with Bones?"

"Uh-huh," Kristen answered, nodding.

"This is just too cute," Angela said, looking at them.

"You said you had a face?" Booth questioned.

"Yeah, right here." Angela passed him the digitally-rendered picture. He shifted Kristen to one side of his body so that he could bring the picture up to look at it more closely. He nodded, shifting around a bit more so that he could hold up the folder he came in with while still holding onto Kristen.

"Her name is Lindsey Ellis. She played basketball at a local college. Her roommate reported her missing ten days ago." He placed the folder on Brennan's desk, and she opened it to reveal a photo of a girl who looked extremely similar to the photo Angela had just shown them. "Her mother lives about fifteen minutes from here. I figured we could talk to her first before going over to the college."

Brennan nodded. "What about the kids?"

Booth spun to face Angela, still holding Kristen. "Like I could say no to that," Angela remarked, smiling at the scene in front of her. Booth's arm was still around Kristen, holding her close to his body, her legs dangling against his side as her head rested on his shoulder.

"Kristen, what do you say to staying here with Angela for awhile while Bones and I go try and figure out who did this?" Booth suggested.

Kristen studied the artist carefully for a few seconds before nodding. "Okay."

"Great." Booth set the girl on the floor, and she immediately ran back to the couch to gather Noah and her doll. "Thanks for doing this, Angela."

"Anytime. Besides, I might need the practice." Booth's eyebrows shot up, and he cocked his head to one side in question. Angela laughed. "No, not yet. But we've talked about it, and we're thinking that maybe one day. . ."

"Well, have fun. Noah was fed about an hour and a half ago and changed maybe half an hour before that. Chance, the puppy, will also need feeding in a couple hours. Everything you need is in the bag. You can call me if-"

"Booth? I've got it. Just go."

"Okay. Thanks, Angela. Come on, Bones, let's get going." He waited for Brennan to grab her coat before leading her from the lab with a hand on the small of her back. Angela watched them go, wondering when they would finally come to their senses and realize that they were perfect for one another.

Lindsey's mother, Norah Ellis, was a thin woman in her early fifties who greeted Booth and Brennan with a smile which quickly slid off her face when Booth showed his badge. "This is about my Lindsey, isn't it?" she questioned.

"I'm afraid so, ma'am."

Norah closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "I knew when she went missing that it might eventually come to this. But that still doesn't prepare you, you know?"

"I know, ma'am. I'm sorry for your loss."

"Come in. I guess you have questions for me."

"Thank you." Booth and Brennan followed her into a small but comfortable living room. Pictures covered half of one wall, and Booth's eyes were immediately drawn to them. He noticed that nearly all of them depicted Lindsey at various stages in her life, some with her mother and some with a dark-haired man that he assumed was her father. The most recent picture showed Lindsey alone in her basketball uniform, a ball tucked casually under one arm and a wide smile on her face.

"I love that picture," Norah said, noting his gaze. "The coach had a professional photographer brought in this year to take some pictures of the girls. That was one of my favorites. She just looks so happy." Norah swallowed hard again as her voice broke. "Of course, she was always happy when she had a ball in her hand. Lindsey loved basketball. She was playing almost as soon as she could walk. It was her father's influence; he had also played in college, and he had her out shooting hoops when she could barely hold the ball. He died when she was fifteen—pancreatic cancer. It came on so suddenly; none of us were expecting that. But before we really comprehended what was happening, he was gone." Norah wiped tears from her eyes with one hand as her other hand moved to trace the frame of a picture of the three of them. Lindsey looked to be twelve or thirteen in it; she was standing behind her father, her arms looped casually around his neck, and he had his arm around his wife. All three were smiling happily at the camera. "It hit Lindsey pretty hard; she and her father were always close. She was a Daddy's girl, through and through. She would much rather play a game of pick up with the guys at the park than play with dolls or have a tea party. When he died, she shut herself off from the world for awhile. Her grades dropped, and she refused to talk to me. The only thing she did with any passion was to play basketball. She convinced her coach to let her wear her father's college number—14. I guess it was her way of keeping him with her."

"It must have been tough," Booth sympathized.

"We had a rough couple of years. I was struggling to make ends meet, so I wasn't around as much as I would have liked to help Lindsey cope. But by the time she started college, she seemed to be doing better. She was more open and carefree. She still wore 14, though." Norah's fingers traced the white numbers on the picture that Booth had been looking at earlier. "If you don't mind me asking, Agent Booth, how did she die?"

"A bullet pierced her right-" Brennan began; however, she was quickly cut off by a look from Booth. "She was shot," Brennan answered simply.

The tears which had been gathering in Norah's cheeks began to flow freely down her face. "Shot? By who? Who would want to take the life of my little girl? She never hurt anybody. She was all I had left in this world."

"We're going to find who did this to your daughter, Mrs. Ellis," Booth promised, placing a comforting hand on the woman's shoulder.

Norah raised her tear-stained face to look at him. "Thank you, Agent Booth. I truly believe you will."

"Mrs. Ellis, we need to ask you a few questions," Booth told her gently. "Can you think of anyone, anyone at all who would want to hurt Lindsey?"

"No, no one. She was a sweet girl; everyone loved her."

"Was she having any problems at school?"

"No, she seemed fine. She was home for most of the summer working at the mall not too far from here, and she seemed just the same as always. Still spent most of her free time shooting hoops or playing pick-up."

"So you've noticed no changes in her behavior?"

"No, none."

"When was the last time you spoke with your daughter?" Brennan inquired.

"About a week before she disappeared. She was named a captain of the basketball team; she called me to tell me about it."

"But she said nothing else out of the ordinary?"

"No. Why are you asking all these questions anyway?"

"We're just trying to determine anything which may help us find out what happened to your daughter, ma'am," Booth explained gently.

"Couldn't you just ask the cops who originally investigated? I told them all I know."

"I know it's difficult, ma'am, but it helps our investigation when we can hear the information first-hand." Booth paused for a moment to let her consider the statement. When she nodded, he continued. "Did your daughter have a boyfriend?"

"Not a steady one, no. I heard her mention a couple different boys that she had dated, but she wasn't serious with anybody. Her main focus was basketball."

"Can you give me the names of either of the boys she mentioned?"

Norah shook her head, catching her lip between her teeth to suppress her sobs. "I'm sorry, I really don't remember. Some of her friends might know."

"Did she have any friend she was particularly close to?"

"She and her roommate, Jenna, have been best friends since middle school. Those two shared everything. And she was close to her teammates, too."

Booth and Brennan spent a few more minutes asking questions before they politely excused themselves, promising to contact the distraught woman with any new information they might uncover. As they left, Booth turned to Brennan, shaking his head. "She's either a damn good actress or had nothing to do with her daughter's murder." Brennan shook her head slowly.

"The man in those pictures on the mantle? He wasn't her father. At least, not biologically."

"What?"

"Lindsey had brown eyes and a widow's peak. Both her parents had a normal hairline, and her mother had green eyes. Her father had blue."

"So you're saying the mother cheated?"

"Actually, I'm not sure if that woman was her mother at all. Aside from the genetic impossibility that those two people could have produced a child with Lindsey's genetic traits, neither of them share certain basic facial features with Lindsey. The curve of their jaw, the height of their cheekbones, the width of their brow, all these commonly inherited facial features are not the same between Lindsey and her alleged parents."

"So what are you saying, Bones? That Lindsey's adopted?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying, Booth."


	4. Chapter 4

There's some case here, but it's a lot of fluff. Again, some things I write might not actually happen in real life, but the same can be said for a lot of things which authors write.

* * *

An hour later, Brennan was sitting in her office frowning at the paperwork on her desk that she was attempting to complete. Kristen sat in her lap, attempting to play chess on her computer. The small girl had picked up on the game fairly quickly and was even starting to learn some strategy with Brennan's help. Booth breezed into the office without bothering to knock. "You were right, Bones," he announced, waving a folder. Opening it, he read, "Lindsey Pauline, born December 6, 1988. Adopted by Ted and Norah Ellis January 5, 1989. Adoption records were sealed which is why they did not come up initially. Norah Ellis lied to us."

"She never technically lied to us. We never directly asked her if she was Lindsey's biological mother," Brennan pointed out.

"A lie by omission is still a lie, Bones."

"What's omission?" Kristen asked suddenly, alerting both partners to the fact that she was still in the room.

"It means leaving something out," Brennan explained. "I have a pair of headphones here, Kristen," Brennan continued, plugging her headphones into the computer. "Why don't you put these on while you play your game?"

"You just don't want me listenin' to what you're sayin'," Kristen deduced accurately; however, she still placed the headphones over her ears.

"So what do you want to do, Booth?" Brennan questioned.

"I want to question her again. Here, this time."

"I thought you had decided she had nothing to do with the murder."

"I don't like people lying to me, Bones, whether they're murderers or not."

Thirty minutes later, Booth and Brennan sat across from Norah Ellis in the interrogation room. Booth was turned sideways in his chair, one arm on the table in front of him, his fingers tapping a random rhythm on the smooth surface as he regarded the older woman carefully. "I don't understand why I'm back here, Agent Booth," she told him. "I answered all of your questions before."

"You lied to us, Mrs. Ellis," he told her.

"I'm sorry?" He slid the adoption papers across the table to her. She picked them up and glanced quickly at them before returning her gaze to Booth's face which had remained expressionless. "I did not think Lindsey's adoption had any bearing on the case," Norah explained. "It was a long time ago."

"Still, you think you would have mentioned it at some point."

"Why? I raised Lindsey from an infant. As far as I was concerned, she was my daughter. It doesn't matter what genetics say."

"Did you tell Lindsey she was adopted?" Brennan inquired.

Norah turned to Brennan. "We were going to tell her on her eighteenth birthday. That's what Ted and I had agreed on. But then when he got sick and with everything that happened after that, I just couldn't do that. Not when she was just beginning to let me in again."

"But she found out," Booth guessed.

Norah nodded. "About a year ago, she confronted me. Evidently, she was taking some genetics class for school and realized that there are some things which don't make sense genetically about her being related to us. Her eye color for one." Booth looked to Brennan as Norah spoke, remembering how she had discovered Lindsey's true parentage in the same way. She, however, was not paying any attention to him; her attention was focused entirely on the woman in front of her. "At that point, I told her everything. I even showed her the adoption papers."

"How'd she take it?" Booth questioned.

"Not well as I'm sure you can imagine. She refused to speak to me for awhile. We'd only recently started talking again, and even then she was still cold and distant. I knew I should have told her earlier, but I simply couldn't bring myself to do it. I just started thinking that I would never have to. I should've known better."

They spoke to Norah for a bit longer before Booth decided to let her go. "You aren't going to hold her for longer?" Brennan asked.

"Nah, there's nothing to hold her for. She didn't do it."

"You said that before."

"And I still believe it."

"Are we going to talk to her friends at school now?"

Booth checked his watch. "It's too late now. We can do that tomorrow. We need to get to your apartment and get some dinner before the social worker gets there." With that, he turned and left before she could begin to protest.

They stopped at the grocery store on the way home to pick up more food, for Booth knew that Brennan did not have many kid friendly choices in her apartment. While they were there, they also stocked up on formula and bottles for Noah and picked up a couple Barbies for Kristen. He also stopped at his apartment and wrestled the old portable crib he had for Parker out of the closet so that Noah would have somewhere to sleep. When they reached Brennan's apartment, Booth headed immediately for the kitchen with most of the groceries to begin cooking. Brennan had learned early on in their relationship that he was actually a fairly skilled chef; evidently, he had learned in college to impress girls. He told her that he did not often cook except when he had her and/or Parker over, however, for he found it depressing to cook for only himself.

And tonight with three mouths to feed, he decided to make his famous chili, a recipe that Parker loved and that he could easily convert into something vegetarian for Brennan. He had found himself cooking many more vegetarian meals since they had started dating. Though he scoffed at the food, he had found that it did not taste as bad as he had first feared (a fact he would never admit to Brennan). And while he was still a carnivore at heart, he was willing to expand his horizons to accommodate her. After all, she was worth it.

He found Brennan at the dining table with Kristen, showing the small girl how to set the table. He watched the scene play out with a small smile. Who would have thought that Dr. Temperance Brennan could be so domestic? And yet, here she was, carefully guiding Kristen's hand so that she placed the fork in the correct spot.

"Dinner's ready," he announced, walking up behind Brennan. Placing his hand on her hips, he bent over to kiss the back of her neck. She turned in his arms, and he used the hands still on her hips to pull her closer to him. Kristen rolled her eyes as he leaned forward and captured her lips with his own. As they continued to kiss, Kristen finished setting the table. Just as she was placing the last fork, a knock sounded at the door. Kristen glanced briefly at the two partners who were still locked together at the lips before sighing and traipsing toward the door.

When she opened the door, she saw an older woman in a sensible black skirt and jacket standing outside, her fist raised to knock again. The woman glanced down at Kristen curiously. "Is this the Brennan residence?" she questioned.

"Yeah. I'm Kristen. You're the social worker Booth and Tempe were talkin' about?" Kristen questioned, extending a hand. The woman took it, slightly taken-aback.

"Yes, I am from social services. Is Temperance Brennan around?"

"She's inside." Kristen jerked her head over her shoulder, turning. When the woman didn't follow her immediately, Kristen turned back to her. "You comin'?"

"Yes, of course." Together, the two walked into the apartment. Kristen led the social worker into the dining room where Booth and Brennan still stood, their lips pressed so tightly together that it looked to Kristen like they were trying to devour each other's faces. Booth's hands were slowly traveling over Brennan's back as her hands tangled in his hair. Kristen cleared her throat loudly, and the two sprang apart.

"Kristen, did you finish. . ." Booth broke off as he noticed the social worker standing a few feet from the girl. "You found a friend?"

"Says she's with social services," Kristen announced.

"Oh." Booth forced a nervous smile as he glanced at the clock. "You're twenty minutes early," he observed.

"I like to come early," the social worker told him. "I'd rather have my appearance be a surprise. It lets me see the. . . natural environment."

Booth gave an anxious chuckle. "Seeley Booth. Dr. Brennan and I are partners." He held out a hand which the woman shook perfunctorily.

"I can see that," she remarked. "Penny Treewater."

"And I'm Dr. Temperance Brennan," Brennan introduced, also holding out a hand.

"We're just about to have dinner if you'd like to join us," Booth offered. "It's vegetarian chili. I made plenty."

Penny glanced around briefly before nodding. "You know, I think I'll take you up on that offer," she decided.

"Okay. If you'd like to take a seat at the table, I'll be right out with the chili." As he said this, wails could be heard from the other side of the apartment.

"I've got him," Brennan assured Booth. "Why don't you just get dinner served?"

"Okay. Um, how much chili would you like, Ms. Treewater?" he questioned, walking into the kitchen with Kristen trailing behind him.

"Just a little is fine, thank you." Booth nodded, dishing up a small bowl for her before handing it to Kristen with instructions to carry it carefully to the table. The young girl did as he asked before racing back into the kitchen. "Okay, Munchkin, how much do you want?" he questioned once she stood beside him again.

"A whole lot!" she exclaimed, spreading her arms wide. He chuckled.

"Why don't we start out with a bowlful and see how it goes from there?"

She considered his offer for a moment before nodding. "Okay." As he finished dishing her chili up, he heard Brennan call from across the apartment.

"Booth?"

Wiping his hands on the dish towel hanging on the oven, he exited the kitchen to join her. "Yeah, Bones?" he called back.

"Where did you put the diapers?"

"Uh, I think I took them in with me and the rest of the groceries," he answered, reentering the kitchen. Sure enough, the diapers were tucked into a bag in the corner. He brought them out and presented them to her triumphantly.

"Thanks." She smiled gratefully before reentering the bedroom with Noah still cuddled to her chest. Penny watched the interaction with interest.

"So how long have you two been married?" she inquired.

"They're not married," Kristen answered quickly. "They just kiss and stuff."

"You need to stop talking with your mouth full, Munchkin," Booth chided as he came back into the room with two more bowls of chili. "And wait until everyone is seated and served before you begin eating."

"Okay, Booth," Kristen said with a dramatic sigh. He smiled and ruffled her hair. After a final trip to the kitchen, he set a salad on the table, telling Kristen and Penny to go ahead and serve themselves while he checked on Brennan. He found her in the bedroom, carefully fastening the diaper onto Noah. When she finished, she turned to Booth expectantly, holding the infant out to him.

"How'd I do?"

"Great, Bones. You're a natural." She bit her lip when she heard this. There was no way she was a natural; she had not even decided that she wanted to be a mother until a month before. She was not good with kids; she did not know how to speak to them or act around them. Why did she even think she could do this?

As usual, Booth read her thoughts. He tipped her chin so that she was looking at him. "Trust me, Bones, you're doing great. Just be yourself. Kristen already loves you, and I think this guy is well on his way to loving you, too." He looked down at the baby in her arms who was rustling around, likely hungry. "And just remember, I've got your back. No matter what." He leaned forward, pressing a quick kiss to her lips before exiting the bedroom.

"We now have one clean, hungry baby," he announced to Kristen and Penny who both jumped when they heard his voice. "Whoa, a little skittish there, huh? Have you two been up to something?" he questioned.

"No, nothing," Kristen answered quickly. A bit too quickly in Booth's opinion.

"Uh huh." His tone was disbelieving. "Well, I'll get it out of you later. Just remember, you can't lie to me." Though his words might have seemed threatening, his playful tone and wide smile belied any intimidating quality they might have held. Kristen giggled. "Okay, Bones is just getting Noah's bottle ready. Kristen, why don't you bow your head and fold your hands? I'm going to say the blessing, and then we can eat."

"Can I say it?" Kristen asked eagerly. Booth looked up at her curiously. "I'm good at it, I promise," Kristen told him. "Mommy used to have me say it all the time before we ate. Please, Booth, please!"

"Sure, sweetheart, go ahead." So Kristen had been raised at least somewhat religiously, Booth noted. Interesting.

"Dear God. Thank you for everything you've given me. Thank you for Noah and Chance and Tempe and Booth. Thank you for helping us to find them and having them take us in. And thank you for all the wonderful food. And thank you for not making me live on the streets any longer. And watch over Mommy in heaven. Amen." She opened her eyes and looked up expectantly at Booth.

"Amen," he echoed, surprised as he heard a third voice say the word. Turning, he saw that Brennan had emerged from the kitchen to join them. He shot her a questioning look, but she did not respond, instead walking back into the kitchen to retrieve Noah's bottle.

"Did I do good, Booth?" Kristen asked eagerly.

"Yes, sweetheart, you did _well_," Booth praised, emphasizing the correct word.

"You're a religious man, Mr. Booth?" Penny questioned.

"Catholic," he answered simply. "And please, just Booth. Or Seeley."

"Call him Booth," Kristen instructed. "Seeley's a funny name."

"Hey, no making fun of my name!" He tweaked her nose in mock indignation, and she giggled. Brennan walked back into the dining room and took her seat next to Booth, still holding Noah who was now sucking contentedly at a bottle.

"Are you religious, too, Dr. Brennan?" Penny questioned.

"Tempe. And no. I don't have the same faith Booth has. But I'm learning." She exchanged a look that spoke volumes with Booth.

"Oh." Penny seemed slightly off-put by Brennan's answer, but she recovered quickly. "This is excellent chili," she complimented. "You are quite the chef, Dr. Brennan."

"Actually, Booth made it. The fact that I am a woman does not mean that I must make dinner every night. It's a ridiculous stereotype that-"

"She wasn't trying to insult you, Bones," Booth said placatingly.

"I assure you I wasn't, Tempe." She turned, addressing her next question to Booth. "Bones?" Booth sighed; he was really growing tired of explaining this.

"She works with bones. It's a nickname."

"Oh? What do you do?" Her head swiveled back to Brennan.

"I'm a forensic anthropologist at the Jeffersonian, but I assume you already knew that since you have the information I submitted when I applied to be a foster parent," Brennan said.

"And you, Se-Booth?" she corrected, glancing at Kristen. "What do you do?"

"I'm a special agent with the FBI," he answered proudly.

"Don't see what's so special about you," Kristen muttered, plastering on a false smile when he glared at her. He tweaked her nose again.

They talked amicably for the rest of dinner with Penny throwing in numerous questions about their lives and work. Finally, near the end of dinner, she asked the question Booth knew she had been skirting around the entire time. "Are you and Tempe living together?"

They exchanged a glance. "No," Brennan answered.

"But you're seeing each other?"

"Yes."

"Do you think that's best for the children?"

"The children love him. He's great with him; he's an excellent father," Brennan replied, glancing at Booth as his hand shot out to catch Kristen's glass when she accidentally hit it with her elbow.

"So your relationship is stable?"

Booth steadied the teetering glass before answering. "Our relationship is perfectly stable. We've spent three years getting to this point; trust me, I'm not going anywhere."

"Then perhaps you would be willing to sign as a second foster parent."

"What?"

"I'm always more comfortable when children are in families with two parents. And while I would prefer that you two live under the same roof, the children are obviously attached to both of you, and you two seem to have a domestic situation of sorts. I'm guessing that you're at Tempe's house a lot, Booth?"

He glanced at her. "A fair amount," he answered. In truth, they spent nearly every night together now either in her apartment or his.

"Well, in that case, it makes sense that you should share responsibility for these children. Now, I'm guessing you're not registered as a foster parent?"

"No, not yet."

"Well, I can fax you the paperwork tomorrow. It'll take a couple weeks to process, so we would just have Tempe sign now, and we can add your name as a foster parent later. Would that be okay?"

Booth nodded. "That would be great."

"Does this mean you're letting me foster the children?" Brennan asked.

"For now, yes. These two are already attached to the two of you, and once children grow attached, I'm always reluctant to separate them. I'll be coming by periodically to check on you, make sure the children are adjusting okay. And you need to find a school for Kristen. Also, I'm slightly concerned about your jobs."

"The Jeffersonian has a great daycare program," Brennan told the woman. "I figured I would try to enroll Noah in that tomorrow. That way, he would be close to Booth and I while we worked."

"Okay. That's good. Now, I usually prefer at least one parent to be at home, but I think I can make an exception in this case if you prove to me that you can handle your jobs and caring for two children. Think of this as a conditional foster for right now. I'll be checking up on you frequently to make sure everything's going okay. If I find that you don't seem to be having problems and that the children are doing well, then I will decrease the frequency of my visits. But if I feel that the children are not doing well in your care, I won't hesitate to remove them."

"Of course. We'll take good care of them, don't worry," Booth assured her.

"I believe you when you say that, Agent Booth. I've been a social worker for many years now, and I've learned to get a feel for people pretty quickly. And I have a good feeling about the two of you. I think you truly want what is best for these children."

"We do," Brennan confirmed.

"Wonderful. Now, if you'll just fill this out, Tempe, I can be on my way." She handed Brennan a form, and Booth passed her a pen from the table behind him, taking Noah off her hands as she began to fill out the form.

Booth cleared the table while Brennan finished all the paperwork, enlisting Kristen to help. Once all the leftovers were put away and the dishes were in the drying rack, he returned to the table where Brennan was signing the final paper. "Okay, thank you, Tempe. I'll be in touch. And I'll send you that paperwork tomorrow."

"Okay, thank you," Booth told her. "Take care."

"You, too." She waved at them, and Booth saw her to the door before returning to the kitchen where Brennan and Kristen still sat.

"Does this mean we get to live with you?" Kristen inquired.

"It does," Brennan confirmed.

"Yay!"

"Hey, Munchkin, what were you and Penny talking about out here while I was helping Bones with Noah?" Booth queried.

"I just told her that I really wanted to live with you guys and no one else. I said that if she tried to take me away, I'd just run away. She said she'd consider that when she was making her decision." Booth smiled and shook his head.

"Well, I guess you're stuck with us then. Now, come on, let's go see if we can find a clothing store still open so we can get you something else to wear."

Later that night, Kristen was asleep in Brennan's guest bed which easily dwarfed her. Noah slept soundly in a crib beside the bed, and Booth and Brennan could hear the breathing of both kids from where they sat in the living room through a monitor they had bought earlier that day. Booth's phone rang, and he sighed when he saw the name. "Hello, Rebecca," he greeted without enthusiasm. He paused to listen to something she said, and Brennan watched as his eyes lit up. "No, no, I'd be happy to watch him. . . Yeah, that's fine. . . No, actually I'm at Dr. Brennan's. . . One second." He covered the receiver. "Drew's mother's sick, so they're going up to see her tomorrow. Rebecca wants me to watch Parker while they're gone. Is it okay if I tell her to drop him off here tomorrow morning?"

Brennan nodded. "It's fine," she assured him. "Besides, we need to make introductions soon anyway."

Booth nodded in agreement before removing his hand from the phone. "Yes, do you think you could drop him off at Dr. Brennan's tomorrow? It's actually closer to you. . . Okay, you have something to write with?" He proceeded to give Rebecca Brennan's address and directions to her apartment before exchanging a few last words and hanging up. As he replaced the phone in his pocket, he looked at Brennan. "Seems like we'll have a third munchkin for awhile," he remarked. "I'll have to drop Parker off at school tomorrow morning, but that'll give us a chance to speak with someone about enrolling Kristen. You don't mind him coming here tomorrow, do you?"

"No, of course not," Brennan said quickly.

"Good. Now, come on, Bones, let's get to bed," Booth said, standing and extending a hand. "I have a feeling we're going to have a long night ahead of us."


	5. Chapter 5

Booth's prediction turned out to be accurate. Noah woke three times during the night, and though Booth and Brennan switched off who had responsibility for him, they were both still bleary-eyed when their alarm rang the following morning. Grumbling, Booth rolled over and pressed the snooze button a couple times. He could skip his morning run.

Unfortunately, Kristen did not seem willing to let them sleep in that morning; about five minutes after Booth shut the alarm off, she was on the bed, bouncing up and down excitedly. "Wake up, Tempe, Booth!" she called. Booth heard Brennan groan beside him and turn to face the overexcited child. "It's time to get up," Kristen announced. Brennan mumbled something unintelligible.

"Come on, sweetheart, let's let Bones sleep for awhile longer. I'm going for a run. You want to join me?

"Yeah!"

"Mmh, I'm up," Brennan muttered. "I'll come, too."

"What about Noah?"

"What about him? We'll take him with us. I bought that baby carrier backpack thing yesterday. I might as well use it."

"Okay," Booth said, a smile crossing his face at the thought of Brennan wearing the baby backpack. He could not wait to see this.

True to her word, Brennan loaded Noah in the backpack, and they set out. They only ran a short distance to a park near Booth's house where Kristen could play as they ran around the track surrounding it. The logistics of showering with only one bathroom started a small debate when they returned, but they eventually compromised with Booth taking the first shower and then making breakfast while Brennan showered and bathed the kids. The doorbell rang just as Booth was flipping pancakes, and he moved to answer it, a dish towel draped over his shoulder.

"Hi, Seeley," Rebecca said, holding out a bookbag. "Everything he needs for the weekend should be in there. Parker, give Mommy a kiss."

The small boy obediently pressed his lips to his mother's cheek before turning to his father. "Daddy, where's Dr. Bones?" he questioned.

"She's in the shower. Why don't you head to the kitchen and I'll be there in a minute? I'm making pancakes for breakfast."

"Okay!" He skipped off to the kitchen without hesitation. He had been at Brennan's apartment a number of times; he had begged her and his father to take him to her apartment soon after they began dating, and since that time, he had asked to come back quite often. Brennan had not seemed to mind much; in fact, Booth suspected that she liked that his son was enamored with her apartment—even if it did not have a television. When Parker had disappeared, Booth turned back to Rebecca.

"He seems to know his way around," she observed.

"He's been here a few times."

"I'm not sure if I like him being so close to your girlfriend."

"Bones isn't just a girlfriend. And besides, he's close to Drew."

"Drew and I have been seeing each other for almost three years now."

"In some ways, the same can be said of Bones and I. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go get the pancakes before they burn. Be safe, Rebecca."

When Booth entered the kitchen, he found Parker watching the pancakes closely. "You hungry, Bub?" he questioned, flipping them onto a plate. Parker nodded. "Okay, here you go," he said, handing the pancakes to Parker. "There's syrup and fruit on the table. Make sure you have some fruit, too," Booth reminded his son. Though Booth was not a healthy eater the majority of the time, he tried to make sure his son ate right when he was around.

"Okay, Daddy," Parker agreed, taking a seat at the table.

As Booth was finishing another set of pancakes, he saw Brennan walk into the living room, Kristen trailing behind her. "Hey, Bub, there's someone we want you to meet," Booth told his son. Parker looked up from his pancakes. "This is Kristen. She's almost eight. Kristen, this is my son, Parker," Booth introduced.

Parker smiled at the other girl before sticking out a syrup-covered hand. "Nice to meet you. Is Dr. Bones your mommy?"

"My mommy's dead," Kristen answered shortly.

"Oh. I'm sorry." And he did look genuinely sorry. "Is Daddy helping you then? He helps people when their mommies and daddies die. He makes sure he finds the bad guy who killed them."

"Kristen's mommy was sick, Bub," Booth explained gently. "There was no bad guy. But she is going to stay with Bones and I for awhile because she needs someone to take care of her, okay?"

Parker considered for a moment. "Okay."

"Do you want to meet Noah and Chance?" Kristen asked, grabbing his hand and pulling him into the guest bedroom. She pointed to the sleeping baby. "Noah's my brother; Tempe and Booth are taking care of him, too. And Chance is a puppy; we found him and helped him because he don't have no mommy either."

"Okay, munchkin, I think enough introductions have been made for now," Booth whispered from behind them. "Now, come on, go eat breakfast. You don't want to wake your brother." He shooed them out of the room, and they traipsed happily back to the table together. Booth let out a long breath. So far, so good.

They spoke to the principal of Parker's school, and she agreed to take Kristen that day for testing to determine which grade she should be placed in. Kristen was reluctant to leave Booth and Brennan, but they promised to return in the afternoon, and she finally allowed herself to be led away. A stop at the Jeffersonian daycare and a few sheets of paperwork ensured that Noah also had somewhere to be during the day while they worked. They finally walked into the lab together at around 9:30.

"You're late, Sweetie," Angela observed. "Really late."

"I had to enroll Kristen in school," Brennan explained honestly. "And then I had to get Noah started at the daycare."

"Uh huh. Then why are you late?" She turned accusingly to Booth.

"I was just helping her out," Booth informed the nosy artist. "Do you have anything new on the case?"

"I was going through some of the refuse found at the scene and I came across this," Hodgins announced, holding up a light pink, knee-high sock.

"A sock?" Booth questioned.

"There's gunpowder residue on the heel around a fairly large hole," Hodgins explained. "My guess is that your killer used it to muffle the sound of the gun."

"Any way of finding out who it belonged to?" Booth asked.

"Sorry, but I couldn't find any traces of hair or sweat or anything with the DNA."

"Okay. Keep looking, Hodgins. Let me know if you find anything. Come on, Bones."

"Where are we going?" she queried.

"I want to go talk to her teammates."

"Wouldn't they be in class?"

Booth shook his head. "If they're anything like my teammates were in college, there's only one place you're going to find them right now."

When Booth and Brennan walked into the gym, they found four girls wearing basketball shorts and sleeveless shirts at one end of the court. They had set up the gun underneath the basket, and it was rapidly firing basketballs into their waiting hands as they lined up just outside the three-point line on the right side. One of them shot the ball, and it hit the rim, bouncing over the net of the gun and toward Booth who caught it neatly. Walking over, he flipped off the gun, much to the dismay of the four girls who all stared at the newcomer irritably.

"Special Agent Seeley Booth, FBI," Booth introduced, showing his badge as he approached them. "This is my partner, Dr. Temperance Brennan."

"Special agent, huh?" one of the girls said, stepping forward. She stood at around 6'1" or 6'2" with sleek blond hair pulled back into a ponytail. A layer of sweat gleaned on her face. "You packing?" The girls behind her snickered.

"We're here about Lindsey Ellis," Booth told them.

"You found her?" Another girl stepped forward beside the first. Her dark eyes showed genuine concern. "Where? When?"

"She was found yesterday in downtown DC, Ms. . ."

"Ranger. Amber Ranger. But you can just call me Amber."

"With a body like that, I bet you'd let him call you whatever he wants," one of the girls behind her teased.

"Shut up, Brit," Amber barked. "This isn't a time for your jokes. If the FBI's here, that means Lindsey's dead, right?"

"I'm afraid so."

"Dead?" The fourth girl spoke up now, and Booth directed his attention to her. She was the shortest of the group at around Brennan's height, and Booth suspected she was also the youngest. Her brown hair was pulled into a messy ponytail, and a number of stray tendrils curled around her face. "How did she die?"

"She was murdered, Liza, why else would the FBI be here?" the first girl answered.

"Murdered. By who?" Liza questioned.

"That's what we're trying to figure out. We need to ask you girls a few questions."

The first girl, who seemed to be the leader of the group, glanced at her companions before shrugging and answering for all of them. "Sure. Ask away."

"Do any of you know of someone who might want to hurt Lindsey?"

They all shook their heads, and Amber spoke up. "No, everyone liked Linds. She was a great ball player, really put her heart into it. You don't find that all the time. Coach loved her because she never quit, and the team loved her because she made us all look good. She was one of those players that could go out there and just motivate everyone, you know? If we needed a quick shot or if you were trapped in a corner, she was always there to help out. She was our go-to person."

"But she didn't hog the ball either," Liza added quickly. "She let everyone have their shot even though we all knew she was better than us."

"So there was no jealousy?"

"No. She earned every minute of playing time she got. Actually, she probably earned more than she got, but Coach liked to rotate players. Didn't want to tire anyone out. And Lindsey never complained even when she was pulled after scoring fifteen points." The first girl shrugged. "She just wanted to play ball."

"I heard she was made captain recently," Booth said. They nodded. "So there was no jealousy from that?"

The first girl answered again. "None. We all knew she deserved it. She and I were cocaptains, and frankly, I was glad to have her. She made my life easier."

"Was there anything else unusual which happened recently?" Booth inquired.

"About a year ago, she found out she was adopted," Amber answered. "That shook her up a bit; it would shake anyone up, finding out the people you thought were your parents weren't really your parents. But she just threw herself into basketball, probably spent more time in the gym than she did in class. Eventually, Coach had to force her to take some time off. She seemed better after that, calmer. She hasn't mentioned it since then, so I think she's pretty much moved on."

"What about more recently than that? Maybe a bad break-up or something."

"No, everything has seemed pretty good recently. She's playing as well as she always does, and she seemed pretty happy," Amber replied.

"Does she have a boyfriend?"

At this, all four girls exchanged a smile. It was the first girl who finally spoke up. "Lindsey never had a boyfriend. She dated a lot but never exclusively."

"And the guys she dated were okay with this?" Booth inquired.

"None of them seemed to mind. I mean, everyone knew that Lindsey. . . got around, but that didn't stop every guy she wanted from falling at her feet."

"Did any of them ever want an exclusive relationship?"

"I'm sure some of them did. But they were mostly content with what they got."

"David," Amber reminded her quietly.

"Oh right, David. David Yates. He's a senior, plays on the guy's team. They went out a few times; she probably saw him more than any other guy. They got into it a few days before she went missing. Evidently, she slept with his roommate, and he wasn't too pleased about this. She just told him that it was a free country and that she could sleep with whoever she wanted and he would have to deal with it. He didn't look too happy about it, but he left her alone after that, just walked away. I never saw them together again after that."

"Do you know where we might find David?"

"Check his dorm room. He lived just down the hall from Lindsey."

"Okay. Can you give me the names of anyone else she was seeing?"

"Honestly, I don't really know. But it would be a fairly extensive list."

"Can you give me any names?"

"Randy Prince," Liza said quietly.

"Rob Fetter and Miles Wright," Brit added.

"Tom Armstrond, Kyle Willis, and Matt Goldstein," Amber continued. Booth wrote all the names down before looking back at the girls, his eyebrows raised.

"Is that all of them?"

"I'm sure there are more," Amber told him. "But I really don't know. We didn't pry into each other's personal lives as long as those lives didn't affect how you played on the court. Her roommate might know more."

"Okay, thank you," Booth said, pocketing the list of names. He turned, raising the basketball he still held to the level of his forehead. With his eyes on the basket, he bent his knees and straightened quickly, releasing the ball. It soared in a smooth arc, falling into the basket. Amber watched it travel smoothly through the net without touching the rim, her head cocked slightly to the side.

"Not bad," she remarked. He shrugged and pulled a business card out of his pocket.

"Call me if you think of anything else." Placing a hand on Brennan's back, he led her from the gym, turning the gun back on as they left.

They stopped next at Lindsey's dorm. The door was closed, and Booth knocked loudly. It swung open a few seconds later to reveal a girl with dark hair pulled into a neat ponytail behind her head. Her dark eyes studied the partners critically.

"Jenna?" Booth asked. The girl nodded hesitantly. "I'm Agent Booth and this is Dr. Brennan. We're here about Lindsey."

A wave of emotions flitted over the girl's face. Booth saw the glimmer of understanding followed almost immediately by an expression of sadness he knew all too well, having seen it on the faces of the family and friends of countless victims. "Come in," Jenna said quietly, opening the door wider. Booth and Brennan stepped into the room. It was immediately apparent which half belonged to Lindsey; the bookshelf and desk were covered with trophies and awards, and posters of famous players papered the walls. Booth studied a full-color poster of Lisa Leslie for a few seconds before turning to Jenna.

"Was Lindsey a Sparks fan?" he questioned, indicating the poster.

Jenna smiled sadly, tears glistening in her eyes. "She was a basketball fan. She never really had a favorite team; she just had favorite players. Lisa Leslie was top of the list. I remember growing up, her goal was to be just like her. An inspiration."

"You've known Lindsey for awhile now?"

"Since we were about eleven. But it feels like all my life." She sniffed, swiping a hand across her eyes before continuing. "It's just so hard to believe that she's gone. Norah called last night to tell me, and I still don't think it's sunk in."

"We're very sorry for your loss," Booth told her, laying a comforting hand on her shoulder. Jenna smiled up at him through her tears.

"Lindsey and I were both only children, so we basically became each other's surrogate sister. We were two very different people; she loved basketball, I loved academics. We fought like siblings sometimes, but it all turned out okay in the end."

Booth ran through the standard list of questions with her but gained no new information. She confirmed the teammates' story that Lindsey dated a number of guys, adding that she never meant any harm by it. It was just the way she was. She also confirmed that Lindsey saw David more than anyone else, but she refused to believe that he could harm her. "I think he truly loved Lindsey," Jenna informed the partners. "But she wasn't ready to settle down and have someone love her. He understood that on some level. He was hurt by her rejection, I'm sure, but he could never harm her. It's just not possible."

As Booth was finishing his questions, Jenna checked her watch. "I'm sorry, but I have a class in five minutes, and we have an exam today. Feel free to stay and look around if you want. I haven't touched any of her stuff."

"Okay, thank you for your time. If you think of anything, just give me a call." Booth handed her a card, and she took it with a nod before grabbing a book from her desk and leaving the room. Brennan was already at Lindsey's desk, carefully examining the objects which covered its surface. She had a few pictures, some of her and her team and some of her and Jenna. Booth immediately noticed that she had no pictures of her mother anywhere in the room. Perhaps she still had not forgiven her.

As Booth was carefully shuffling through a stack of papers on her desk, Brennan opened one of the drawers. She pulled out a black day planner and showed it to Booth. His attention was quickly diverted from the stack of papers which had turned out to be schoolwork anyway. He watched as Brennan flipped through the book to the day that Lindsey had disappeared. As she flipped, an envelope slid out of the book. Curious, Booth picked it up and opened it to find a fairly large sum of cash inside, mostly in twenties. He flipped through the bills quickly. "Just a rough estimate, but I'd say there's nearly a thousand dollars in here," he remarked.

"From what?" Booth shook his head, unsure of the answer to her question. He looked back at the book, noting that at around 10:00 on about half the days, the book was marked with a single name and phone number. "Drugs?" Brennan questioned,

"Maybe." Booth had suspected the same thing, but something was telling him that he needed to dig a little deeper. There was something else going on, and it had nothing to do with drugs. For one thing, he saw no evidence of drugs anywhere else in the dorm room. He flipped through a few more pages of the book, pausing suddenly on one. "It wasn't drugs she was dealing," he informed Brennan. Brennan peered over her shoulder to see a picture of Lindsey; however, in this particular picture, she was definitely not wearing a basketball uniform. Instead, the picture showed Lindsey in a small black dress that barely covered her.


	6. Chapter 6

Brennan looked up from the photo, meeting Booth's eyes with her own. "She was trading sex for money?" Brennan queried.

"I wouldn't have put it quite like that, but yeah, I think that's what happened."

"And all these names were her. . . customers?"

"I think that's exactly what they were. And now, this is our suspect list." Booth glanced over it a final time before tucking the book into a pocket of his jacket. "Come on, I want to go talk to this David Yates and then I'd like to talk to Jenna again."

"Why?"

"Because there's no way she didn't know about this." He patted his jacket pocket that held the book he had picked up from Lindsey's desk. "Now, come on. Yates supposedly lives pretty close." He led the way out of the dorm room, checking the names on the tags of all the doorways. Two doors down, he finally found the tag he was looking for. "David Yates," he read, tapping the card. Raising his fist, he knocked on the door three times. They heard shuffling inside then a loud crash followed by a muffled curse. Eventually, the door opened to reveal a student in his early twenties wearing a pair of sweatpants which rode low on his hips. His short brown hair stuck up at odd angles, and he was rubbing his eyes with the thumb and forefinger of his right hand. Brennan was reminded forcibly of Booth's appearance when he first awoke in the mornings.

"Yeah? Whattya want?" he inquired.

"David Yates?" Booth asked. The student nodded, blinking as his bleary eyes focused on Booth. "I'm Agent Booth and this is Dr. Brennan. We're here about one of your classmates, Lindsey Ellis."

"Jenna mentioned that. Is she really dead?"

"I'm afraid so. We just have a few questions for you."

"Ask away." He leaned tiredly against the doorframe to peer up at Booth.

"Late night last night?" Booth questioned.

He waved off the comment. "You know how it is sometimes."

"I understand you were seeing Lindsey."

He snorted. "Seeing, yes. I definitely saw her. Along with dozens of other guys."

"Did that bother you?"

David peered up at Booth. "For awhile, yeah, it did. But I learned that Lindsey will always be. . . Lindsey. I couldn't change that. So I moved on."

"So you weren't jealous of the other people who she was seeing? Like your roommate?"

"Hell yes I was jealous. I wanted her all to myself; I won't deny that. But I certainly didn't kill her if that's what you're wondering."

"Some witnesses claim that they saw you two arguing the other day."

"I was trying to warn her away from my roommate. It was just a friendly warning."

"Did you ever pay Lindsey for sex?"

"What? No, man, I wasn't _that _desperate. I don't have a problem getting women."

"But you did engage in sexual intercourse with her?" Brennan inquired, entering the conversation for the first time. David turned to look at her, a puzzled expression crossing his face.

"Yeah, we had sex a few times. But I certainly never paid for it." A low moan sounded from behind him followed by the murmur of a distinctly female voice. "Look, if you guys don't have anything else to ask me, I should be getting back."

"We'll be in touch with any further questions," Booth assured him as he swung the door shut. Once the door closed behind David, Booth turned to Brennan with raised eyebrows. "Well, he certainly didn't seem too broken up about it," Booth remarked. "And he recovered pretty quickly from his alleged attachment to her."

"What do you mean?"

"What do I mean? I mean that David there didn't waste any time."

"Waste any time doing what?"

Booth sighed. As much as he loved Brennan and her strange quirks, sometimes he wondered how a woman with a genius IQ could be so dense. "Waste any time before having sex with another woman, Bones. You know, satisfying his biological urges?"

"It's actually fairly common for someone of his age to have multiple partners at the same time. Many college-aged men and women have neglected monogamy, likely as a retaliation against a previous generation. I'm sure that in college, you-"

"Whoa, Bones, I really wish you'd stop speculating about my sex life."

"I'm just saying that I'm sure that as a young, virile male in college, you likely engaged in the same behavior. It's fairly common."

"I'll have you know, Bones, that I have never cheated on anyone."

"So you've always preferred monogamy?"

"Yes, Bones, I have."

"Why?"

"Why? Because. . . why are we having this conversation now anyways?"

"Would there be a better time to have it?"

"I'd prefer not to have it at all."

"It's just a question, Booth, one that I'm genuinely curious about. And I feel that now that we've agreed to pursue a romantic relationship, it's one that I deserve an answer to. Why do you prefer monogamy?"

"Because, Bones, when you find someone special, you don't need anyone else. And if it's someone really special, you want to give that person all of yourself. Because that's what someone truly special deserves." He looked straight into her eyes as he spoke the words, and she knew that he was speaking of her and their relationship. They had stopped walking now and were standing at the end of the hallway simply staring at one another. "Why all the questions, Bones? You're not thinking of stepping out on me, are you?"

"Stepping out?" she inquired, but he was already explaining.

"It means having a romp between the sheets with someone else. Cheating."

"Of course not, Booth. I told you that I wanted monogamy."

"Why, Bones?" he queried, turning her question back on her.

"Because. . . because you keep me very satisfied. I don't want anyone else. I can't think of having a. . . what did you call it again?"

"Romp between the sheets," he told her, smiling now.

"Romp between the sheets with anyone else. I don't really know why."

"It's because you're in love, Temperance. That's what being in love's all about."

"I'll have to take your word on that. I'm still not entirely sure what love is."

"I can show you," he offered, leaning closer. Brennan backed away.

"Booth, we're at work."

"We'll take an early lunch."

"We still need to question Jenna again."

"She's in class."

"Booth!"

"Fine. But tonight, you, me, candlelit dinner, and we'll see where it goes from there."

"What about the kids?"

He sighed. "You're killin' me, Smalls."

Brennan's face contorted with confusion. "Smalls? But you call me Bones."

He burst out laughing at that moment, unable to control it. She watched in confusion as he chuckled heartily, shaking his head at her. "Bones, Bones, Bones, Bones, Bones," he muttered, taking her cheeks into his hands. She was going to object again, to point out that they were still at work and that his current actions were most certainly not professional, but he continued before she could speak. "I love you. Don't ever change." And with that, he leaned forward and pressed a quick kiss to her lips before moving away. She stood rooted to the spot for a moment, watching him go. He turned around when he realized she wasn't following him. "Come on, Bones, let's go bring Jenna in for questioning!" he called to her. Shaking her head to clear her mind, she followed him.

Later, Booth and Brennan stood in the observation room, watching through the two-way mirror as Jenna warily took in her surroundings. She seemed frightened; her fingers fiddled nervously with a stray string on her blouse, and her foot tapped an erratic rhythm on the floor. "How long are you going to let her sit for?" Brennan asked.

"A couple more minutes. Then we'll question her."

True to his word, Booth entered the interrogation room two minutes later with Brennan following close behind. He smiled at Jenna when he saw her. "Hello again. Sorry for making you wait. Would you like a soda or something?"

"No, I'm fine. What's this about anyway? I thought you finished questioning me."

"We just had a few loose ends we needed to tie up. Have you ever seen this before?" Booth placed the date book on the table. Jenna picked it up and flipped through it quickly.

"It's a date book," she observed. "And the handwriting in it is Lindsey's, so I'm assuming it's hers. What about it?"

"We found an envelope of money in it. Along with this." Booth set the picture next to the date book. Jenna glanced down at it before looking back at Booth.

"So? All the necessary parts are covered. And even if they weren't, Lindsey's over eighteen. There's nothing illegal about it."

"No, nothing illegal about the picture per se. But what she was doing with the picture. . . now, that might run her into some legal trouble."

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Jenna folded her arms over her chest, a classic defensive posture. It was not hard for Booth to determine that she was lying.

"See, here's the thing. I'm pretty sure you know exactly what I'm talking about. You and Lindsey have been best friends for awhile. And now you're roommates. There's no way you don't know about this. So, tell me, were you in on this, too? Or was this just Lindsey's thing?"

"It was just hers, okay?" Jenna's arms dropped as tears pooled in the corners of her eyes. "It was just hers. I tried to get her to stop, but she wouldn't listen to me, said it was good money and there was no harm in it. I told her she shouldn't be. . . using herself like that, that it just wasn't right, but she just laughed me off."

"How long has this been going on?" Booth asked, his voice more gentle now.

"Almost a year. Ever since she figured out she was adopted. That was the final straw. I mean, to suddenly realize that you have no family, or at least no family that you know of, that's hard. And Lindsey took it especially hard. As far as she was concerned, she was alone in the world now. I tried to help her, to show her that she wasn't alone, that I was there, that her teammates were there, but she never listened. And then some freshman from the guy's team—Jimmy something or other— started hitting on her one day, and she figured out that he was offered a hundred bucks if he could sleep with her. She told the kid she would do it if he split the money with her, and of course he agreed immediately. I guess at that point, she figured she had nothing to lose. No family to speak of. So she was trying to comfort herself in whatever way possible.

Well, word started spreading, and she started getting more guys offering money to sleep with her. So she took their money and did."

"These guys who offered money, do you remember any of them?"

"Sure, a few."

"Did any of them seem violent or seem to want to hurt Lindsey?"

"No, not that I can think of. Some of them were creeps, sure. I mean, what kind of guy pays for sex anyway? Usually the kind of guy who can't get any on his own. But Lindsey was tough. She could take care of herself. And she didn't take the really creepy ones."

"Jenna, why didn't you mention this earlier?"

"Because I knew what it would look like. I mean, college girl selling sex? You guys would probably think she was a whore or something. But that wasn't Lindsey. She was just trying to find herself. That's all."

"Is there anything else you're not telling us, Jenna? Anything at all?" Jenna shook her head. "All right, you may go." Booth stood and followed her out the door, guiding her to the exit. Once she had left, he turned to Brennan. "So, what do you say to some lunch and then an afternoon interviewing 'creeps'?"

"Do you think one of them did it?"

"There's only one way to find out."

Booth decided the first interview should be Jimmy, the basketball player who had inadvertently helped to start Lindsey's "business." After asking a number of students on campus, they were finally led to a large, open area in front of the main administration building. A multitude of students gathered there, some intently perusing their textbooks and others simply lounging around chatting with friends. One student directed them to a group of boys standing beneath a tree talking. Booth thanked the kid and walked to the group. As they approached, Booth heard a low wolf whistle from one of the boys who was eyeing Brennan closely. Booth reached into his coat to pull out his badge, making sure to pull the fabric of his jacket far enough back to reveal the gun in his shoulder holster. The sight of the weapon and the badge seemed to shut all of the kids up fairly quickly.

"Is one of you Jimmy Harris?" he questioned when he was within earshot of the group. There was some muttering among the boys, and a tall, thin kid with a buzz cut was pushed forward.

"I'm Jimmy," he told Booth.

"We have a few questions for you. About Lindsey Ellis."

This elicited additional muttering along with some catcalls. Jimmy glared over his shoulder at his friends before turning back to Booth, unconsciously standing straighter as he addressed the agent. "Yeah, what about her?"

"I understand you entered into a little agreement with her about a year ago."

"I don't know what you're talking about. . ."

"Save it, Jimmy, I know what happened."

"Well, that's all it was. An agreement. We slept together, the guys paid, and we split the money. No big deal."

"Did you ever pay her for sexual favors again?" Brennan inquired.

"Nope. I don't need to pay for sex. I'm getting plenty as it is."

"Yeah, plenty of nothin'," one of his friends jeered. His comment was met by high fives from the rest of the group as Jimmy glared at them again.

"Did you ever see her again after that?" Booth asked.

"Nah, not really. I mean, we went to some of their games and the girls came to ours, so I saw her then. And I ran into her once or twice on campus. But I didn't really care much about tappin' that again. Been there, done that, you know?"

"Were you aware of Lindsey's business?"

"Oh, trust me, everyone knew about Lindsey's business. Those pictures she passed out got around. From what I hear, a lot of people took her up on it, too. But not me."

"Except for that one time?"

"Look, I got money out of the deal, too. And I got to bang one of the hottest girls on campus. As far as I was concerned, it was a pretty sweet deal."

"Thank you for your time. We'll contact you if there are any further questions." Booth watched as he walked back to his group of friends, and they all started to move away. As the group passed Brennan, she suddenly stiffened, and her hand shot out faster than lightening, grabbing the arms of one of the boys. Without hesitation, she turned her wrist forcefully, forcing him to the ground with a yelp of pain.

"Bones?" Booth asked, walking closer to her.

"He touched me inappropriately," she explained, ignoring the whimpers of pain from the kid she had pinned to the ground.

Booth could not suppress his grin at her comment. "Okay, Bones. But you might want to let him go now before you break his wrist." She complied with the request, and the kid scampered up and over to his friends who were now laughing at him.

"I was not using sufficient force to break his wrist, Booth," Brennan remarked.

"Of course you weren't, Bones. Come on, we still have a whole date book of people to work our way through. Just do me a favor and try not to antagonize too many of them." He smiled at her as he led her away to find the next suspect.

Three hours and eleven horny college kids later, Booth was ready to pull out his gun and shoot himself. Or possibly shoot one of the ubiquitous teens who continued to flash Brennan lecherous smiles or make lewd comments. Next time he needed to question suspects on a college campus, particularly male suspects, he was leaving her in the lab. As they made their way back to the car, he chanced a glance over at her. She, of course, had been completely oblivious to nearly all of the attention she was receiving, only responding to the most blatant attention such as the hand on her ass. Booth, however, noticed all of it, and it was beginning to make his blood boil.

"What's wrong, Booth?" Brennan queried as she hurried to keep up with him.

"Nothing's wrong, Bones," he answered shortly.

"You're walking fast, your jaw is set, and your eyes are darker than normal. That usually means you're frustrated."

"Okay, fine, Bones, I'm frustrated. I still don't have a single clue who killed this girl, and it seems that people have done nothing but lie to me since this case began. I have a right to be frustrated."

She was silent for a moment, considering his response. "It's only been a day, Booth. We've had tougher cases than this, and suspects always lie to us. Those can't be the only reasons," she reasoned. He growled and turned to her. They had reached the car by this time, and he stood with his back to it, his arms crossed, facing her.

"Right now, Bones, you're not doing anything to help the frustration," he remarked.

"Well, if you'd just tell me what's wrong, maybe I could help."

"What's wrong? You want to know what's wrong? What's wrong is that ever since we stepped foot on this goddamned campus, the eye of every male in this place has been on you, looking at you like you're some kind of prize to be won or. . . or. . . gah, screw it!" And suddenly, his arms were around her, and he was kissing her long and hard and out in the open for the world to see. And despite the fact that they were at work and that she had insisted on professionalism, she was kissing him back. He turned them so that her back was to the SUV, and he pressed her against it as his tongue pushed its way into her mouth. She tangled her hands in his hair, pulling him tighter against her body, loving the feel of his warm, hard body at her front contrasted with the cool steel of the car behind her. She loved kissing Booth, enjoyed it more than she had enjoyed sex with her previous partners. Her rational mind told her that this enjoyment came from a release of endorphins in her brain, but the irrational side of her brain, the side which was slowly becoming more prominent the more time she spent around Booth, told her that there was something more. After all, she had never felt the same way after kissing other men. It was only Booth who elicited such a reaction from her, only Booth who could make desire curl in her stomach with something as simple as his lips pressed against hers.

Of course, the kiss was quickly becoming more than something as simple as his lips pressed against hers. His hands were on her hips, but his thumbs were making small circles on the skin beneath the hem of her shirt. His hips bucked against her, pushing her further back into the car. She arched her back to meet him as their tongues continued their fierce duel.

Eventually, they pulled apart, their breathing labored. "I thought" _pant _"we were"_ pant _"trying to stay professional," Brennan reminded him.

"Well, we're not in either of our offices," he reasoned, leaning his forehead against hers. "And I was about to take a break anyway because we need to pick up Parker and Kristen. So I think that would be considered okay."

"Wait, school's out already?" Booth twisted his wrist around to show her his watch. "But we still have a lot of work to do."

"Relax, we'll get it done. Let's go get the kids first, and then I want to run background checks on all these guys, see if anything turns up. I'll keep an eye on the kids while I do that, and you can do whatever you need to do."

They learned from the principal that Kristen was behind most kids her age academically, but they had expected as much. She likely did not have a chance for much of an education on the streets. Though her test scores technically did not even qualify her for a first grade level, they placed her in first grade anyway so that she was not three years older than the kids in her class. Booth and Brennan promised to enrich her learning as much as they could at home so that she could catch up with her peers.

They arrived back at the lab around 4:00, and Booth picked up Noah from the daycare before taking all three kids to Brennan's office. After instructing Parker and Kristen to work on their homework, he commandeered Brennan's computer to begin running his background checks. Wendell had called Brennan over almost as soon as she had entered the lab, and she had disappeared to help him.

When Brennan returned to her office at 5:30, she found Parker sitting on the couch helping Kristen through a reading workbook with occasional help from Booth who was still running background checks as he held Noah against his shoulder, his hand patting the infant's back. He looked up when he heard her enter. "You ready?" he inquired. She nodded. "Okay. I'll get the rest of these read through later tonight," he decided. As he spoke to her, he stopped moving his hand, and Noah began to whimper softly. Realizing that the sound boded a full-fledged crying fit, he began to pat the baby again. "Parker, Kristen, why don't you pack all your school stuff up again while I finish up, and then we'll go home?" he suggested to the two kids who immediately closed the workbook and began to gather everything they had brought with them. In no time at all, all five were out the door and on their way home.

Brennan cooked dinner that night while Booth entertained the kids, still carrying Noah who had decided to wail every time he was put down. As the casserole cooked, Brennan watched them from the doorway, smiling as Booth grabbed a shrieking Parker from the floor with one hand, setting him on the couch as he began tickling him. Parker squirmed and squealed, eventually wriggling from his father's grasp, escaping to hide behind Kristen. The two danced around for awhile with Booth still chasing after them, and Brennan was glad she had taken Booth's advice the previous day and removed all the breakable items from the shelves. As they passed her, Booth handed her Noah. "Here, hold onto him for a second," he said before cornering the two older kids, lifting them into the air. More squealing and shrieking followed this action, and giggles echoed around the once quiet apartment. But Brennan found she did not mind the new volume. In fact, she was beginning to enjoy it.

They settled down some after dinner. Booth was helping Parker build something with the Legos he had brought from his house, and Brennan was helping Kristen with her reading. She had previously learned the alphabet and could associate some letters with the sounds they made, but she still had a long way to go. After about an hour, both kids were obviously growing sleepy, and Booth suggested they turn in for the night. His original plan was to take Parker to his apartment, but Parker begged to stay, and Booth found it difficult to say no. He pointed out the lack of places to sleep, but Brennan reminded him that the sofa pulled out into a bed, solving that particular problem. Booth gave in to his son's pleas fairly easily after that; in truth, the agent had not particularly wanted to leave either.

Once all three kids were bathed and in bed, Booth made his way to Brennan's room to finish up the background checks from that day. "Anything interesting?" she questioned. He shook his head.

"Two drug charges, a public indecency charge, five DUI's, two belonging to the same guy, and one drunk and disorderly. But nothing out of the ordinary. Unfortunately, I can't get juvenile records since those are sealed, so most of these only cover a year or two." He sighed. "There's five more interviews tomorrow."

"I think I might stay at the lab instead of coming with you. I have a bunch of things I need to finish up there."

He smiled at her. "Thanks, Bones."

"So are you finished?"

"For tonight, yeah."

"Good. Because I believe I was promised a candlelit dinner and whatever it led to."

"Dinner's over."

"There's always dessert." He laughed softly at this comment. The one thing he loved most about Brennan was that she never ceased to surprise him. He had always known she would want to take the lead in the bedroom; Temperance Brennan was not the type of person to sit back and let someone else lead. But he had still not been prepared for how adventurous and open she was with love-making. The subtle comments she made and the smoldering looks she gave him never failed to make his groin tighten. And this particular time was no exception. Setting all the papers aside, he leaned over and kissed her hard, hearing her moan into the kiss.

He pulled back after a few seconds, climbing out of the bed. She propped herself up on one elbow, watching him disappear into the bathroom. "Booth?"

"I'll be back in just a minute, Bones." True to his word, he was back a short time later with the two candles she kept beside her tub and a box of matches. "We wanted candlelight, right?" he questioned. She grinned and shook her head at him as he set the candles carefully on the bedside table and lit them. Once the flames were burning nicely, he crawled into bed, pulling her closer to him. Their kisses were slower and more deliberate now; since they had already changed for the night, it did not take long before Booth had removed her gown and she his sweatpants, leaving them both in their underwear. His hands gently caressed her body, running over the smooth skin which he loved so much, and her hands emulated his, making their way slowly over the smooth contours of his muscles. Their desire was palpable, but still, they held back, taking it slow. Because at that moment, slow was what both partners needed.


	7. Chapter 7

Booth dropped Brennan off at the Jeffersonian just after 8:00 the following morning before heading off to finish up the interviews. She stopped first in Hodgins office. "You have anything for us, Hodgins?" she inquired.

"I finished sifting through all the refuse collected," Hodgins told her, sounding inexplicably gleeful as he said the word "refuse." "I found plenty of interesting things in there; unfortunately, nothing was related to the case."

"Nothing?"

"Sorry, Dr. Brennan."

Pursing her lips, she nodded and made her way to the central platform.

When Booth showed up two hours later, he was similarly unhappy. Brennan glanced up from the skeleton she was working on. "Anything?" she questioned.

He shook his head. "Not a thing. Jenna's right, some of these guys definitely fall into the creepy category, but I don't think any of them are our killer. You?"

"Nothing new here." Booth sighed.

"Okay. I want to go talk to the coach. She's the only person who had any sort of significant contact with Lindsey that we haven't spoken with yet."

"I'll come with you," Brennan decided, already stripping off her gloves.

A student at the front desk pointed them up a set of stairs and down a hallway, instructing them to look for a door with a plaque for a Coach Gregory. Booth thanked the kid before leading Brennan up the steps with a gentle touch at her back. They followed the kid's directions to a hallway, stopping outside the correct door. Before Booth could knock, however, his attention was drawn to a picture of the team hanging to the left of the doorway. "Hey, Bones, look at this," he remarked.

"What about it?" she questioned, turning to examine the picture with him.

"It's from our Think Pink Night last season," a voice remarked behind them. Both partners jumped. Booth spun to see a woman in her late thirties watching them from the now-open doorway of the office. "I saw you two standing out here," she responded to the unasked question. "Thought you might need something."

"Uh, yes, I'm Special Agent Booth from the FBI, and this is Dr. Brennan. We just wanted to ask a few questions about Lindsey."

"Ah, yes, I was sorry to hear about that. Would you like to come in and sit down?"

"If you don't mind me asking, ma'am, what did you say this was again?" Booth inquired, gesturing to the picture.

"Think Pink Night. Every season, we have one game for Breast Cancer Awareness. We ask for donations, sell pink team shirts, and all the girls wear pink warm-up shirts, pink shoelaces."

"Pink socks?" Booth guessed.

"Yes."

"What exactly happens to the socks after the game?"

The coach shrugged. "I let the girls take them home after the game."

"Thank you." Booth abruptly turned and began walking away, Brennan hurrying to catch up. The coach stared at them in confusion but made no attempt to call them back. As they walked, Booth hastily explained to Brennan, "The pink sock that Hodgins found, the one with gunpowder residue. It's a little grungy, but it looks to be exactly the same color as the ones that the girls in that picture were wearing."

"It could've belonged to Lindsey," Brennan pointed out logically.

"Blood patterns indicate that she was killed in that alley," Booth reminded her. "And considering the jewelry and shoes she was wearing, I doubt that she was sporting knee-high pink socks with the rest of her outfit. It's more likely that the killer brought them with her."

"So you're saying one of the girls on the team killed her?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying, Bones. Now we just need to go talk to them to figure out which one. Come on, chop chop."

They spoke to four of the girls on the team without receiving any new information. The fifth girl on the list was Brittney Allen whom the two partners had spoken with the previous day. Her roommate informed them that she was in class but would likely be getting out soon. They received directions to the building where her class was held, and it was not long before they spotted her emerging from the building deep in conversation with a boy that Booth recognized immediately. He watched as the boy put an arm around her shoulders, pressing a kiss to her cheek before walking away.

"Hello again, Brittney," Booth greeted as they approached.

"Agent Booth? I don't really know much more that what I told you yesterday." He did not respond to her immediately instead choosing to stand looking at her, his hands shoved deep in the pockets of his pants. "What's this about anyway?"

"I think you know," he told her quietly.

"I honestly have no idea. Do you have more questions about Lindsey?"

"Was that your boyfriend, Brittney? Adam Roberts?"

"Yeah, so?"

"Were you aware that he was one of Lindsey's customers?"

Brittney looked at him, her green eyes meeting his brown ones. She knew she was caught; he recognized the flicker of defeat which flashed through the emerald depths. "I found her picture in one of his textbooks about three weeks ago."

Booth nodded. "And you confronted him about this?"

"He told me it was only one time, that it didn't mean anything. He promised that he loved me, said that I was the only girl for him. I didn't know if I should believe him or not, so one night when he told me he was going out with some friends, I followed him. And he went straight to her dorm room." Booth saw the anger flash in the girl's eyes. "She was a whore. That's all she was, a filthy whore. She would seduce men and then take their money. I'm sure that I'm not the only one who had a boyfriend who was unfaithful because of her and her stupid pictures.

Anyway, I decided to put a stop to it before it went any further. I couldn't let her go on ruining my life and the lives of all the other girls whose boyfriends she stole away. I loved Adam. And I know he loved me. So I slipped a piece of paper under her door instructing her to come to the alley at 9:00 along with a twenty-dollar bill with the promise of more to come. I signed it with Adam's name so she wouldn't be suspicious, and she wasn't. She just walked right into the alley with her tacky jewelry and expensive shoes, calling Adam's name. I was waiting for her; I had my gym bag with me with one of my father's guns. He didn't even notice that it was missing; he has a whole collection.

When she saw me standing in the shadows, she just smiled and asked if we were going to do a three-some. Seemed thrilled by the idea. It made me sick. I told her that I knew what she and Adam had been doing, called her a whore bent on destroying my relationship. That's when she finally stopped smiling. And then I brought the gun out. I put one of my socks over the front of it to muffle the sound. I think she was too shocked to run; she just stood there while I shot her. The bullet went straight through her chest.

I tossed the sock in the garbage and shoved the gun back in my bag before ] hiding the body. I thought that if it took longer to find her, it might make it harder to figure out who did it. So I drug her to the side of the alley and covered her with some cardboard boxes. And then I got out of there as quickly as possible."

"Brittney Allen, you are under arrest for the murder of Lindsey Ellis," Booth began, removing his handcuffs as he spun her around to place them on her wrists. "You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. . . "

Later that afternoon, Booth and Brennan sat together in the lounge on the upper level of the Jeffersonian. "So her teammate killed her because she slept with her boyfriend?" Brennan summarized.

"Yep. Seems like she had the oldest motive in the book—simple jealousy." He leaned back, stretching his arm out across the back of the sofa. "Now, it's Friday and we've successfully closed a case. What do you say we go pick the kids up from school and take them to the park for a little bit before having a celebratory dinner at Wong Foo's?"

"We still have paperwork," Brennan pointed out.

"We can do that later tonight. Right now, let's just relax and enjoy Friday."


	8. Chapter 8

Their announcement of a trip to the park was met with great enthusiasm from Parker who began excitedly babbling to Kristen about everything they could do at the park. They stopped at Brennan's apartment on the way to feed the puppy and then at Booth's apartment so that they could retrieve a soccer ball, two Frisbees, a football, two baseball bats, three gloves, and a baseball. Brennan raised her eyebrows questioningly when she saw the multitude of sporting equipment, but Booth simply smiled at her. "Trust me on this one."

It turned out that Booth was right. They started out by kicking the soccer ball around, but Parker quickly grew bored of that and made his way to the playground equipment, Kristen trailing after him. Next came a game of Frisbee followed by baseball, and they ended the day with a small game of football. Brennan opted to sit the football game out with Noah, so Booth played against both Kristen and Parker. There was quite a bit of laughter and shrieking but no clear picture of who was winning or losing though neither team particularly cared. As the game was winding down and the sun sinking lower in the sky, Parker caught the ball and was running for a touchdown when his father caught him, picking him up and throwing him over his shoulder. Parker was simultaneously squealing and giggling as Booth carried him across the "field" and past the tree that they had earlier designated as an end zone. "That's not fair, Daddy!" Parker protested.

"The ball crossed my end zone. That's six points for me," Booth informed his son.

"You can't carry me across!"

"Why not?"

"'Cuz it's against the rules."

"What rules?" Booth grinned at Parker, reaching out for him, but he dodged his father's hands, already running toward his own end zone. With a loud laugh, Booth took off after his son.

A short time later, Booth slowly hobbled over to Brennan, one kid attached to each leg and a football under his arm. "Whattya say we head over to Wong Foo's for some dinner?" he suggested. At the mention of food, both kids immediately detached themselves and began hopping up and down excitedly.

"I am getting hungry," Brennan agreed.

"Good. Parker, Kristen, can you grab the stuff?" Booth questioned. They gathered it up almost immediately, and the five started back toward the car. "This is the life, Bones," Booth told her with a smile. "I could get used to this."

Sid greeted them all enthusiastically when they walked into the restaurant, giving Parker a high-five. "And who are these two?" he inquired, eyeing Booth and Brennan suspiciously when he noticed Kristen and Noah.

"This is Kristen and Noah. We're fostering them for awhile," Booth explained.

"Well, your usual table is open. I'll be out with your drinks shortly."

"Thanks, Sid." Booth led the way to the large booth, allowing Brennan to slide in first with Noah's car seat. He took the end, noticing immediately that Parker and Kristen were sitting directly across from him. Grabbing a piece of paper from the notepad he kept in his pocket, he began to fold it into a small triangle. "Hey, Bub, why don't we show Kristen how to play paper football?" he suggested.

Parker's eyes lit up at the suggestion. "Okay!" he exclaimed excitedly. As his father passed him the "football," however, he frowned. "Last time I tried to play this with Mommy and Drew, she said you shouldn't play it at restaurants because it was rude," he remembered.

"Well, in most cases, your mommy's right," Booth told the small boy. "But this is Sid's place, and I don't think he'll mind a little paper football."

"As long as you leave the case files at home, I'm happy," Sid agreed, bringing a tray of drinks to their table. He placed them around the table. As he set Parker's in front of him, he leaned over and whispered, "Take him down, Parker." Parker smiled, gave Sid a thumbs up, and positioned the triangle of paper to begin.

When the food came, Parker and Booth were tied with Parker preparing to shoot the extra point for the win. He set the paper triangle on the corner and positioned his finger behind it as Booth held his thumb and forefingers up to simulate the goal. Before he sent the paper flying, however, Parker stopped and looked over at Kristen. "Here, you do it," he told her, holding out the paper to her. She looked at it for a moment, unsure, before her face broke out into a grin and she accepted the paper from his hands. Booth smiled at Brennan as he repositioned his fingers to allow her to shoot. Aiming carefully, she flicked the paper and sent it flying smoothly over his thumbs. "We won!" Parker exclaimed happily, high-fiving Kristen. Booth chuckled, retrieving the paper triangle from his lap.

"You sure did, Bub. You sure did." Again, his eyes met Brennan's as his hand sought hers out beneath the table. Their fingers locked together as they watched Kristen and Parker each dig into their food, talking animatedly about school.

After some debate, they decided to stay at Booth's apartment that night since he had a television and DVD player along with a DVD that Parker wanted to see. They stopped at Brennan's apartment to pick up Noah's crib and spare clothes, diapers, and formula. When they reached Booth's apartment, he popped popcorn as the kids changed into their pajamas and Brennan fed Noah. They all crammed onto the sofa, Parker curled against Booth's left and Kristen on his right, sandwiched between him and Brennan who was holding Noah. As they settled, there was laughter and chattering, but the noise quickly died down as the movie started.

Kristen fell asleep about three-quarters of the way through the movie, but Parker somehow managed to stick it out to the end. By that time, however, he was so exhausted that he stumbled to bed and collapsed into it, falling asleep almost immediately. After Noah was also in his crib, Booth lifted Kristen carefully into his arms, letting her sleep on his shoulder as Brennan pulled out the bed. Once she, too, was tucked in, the two retired to Booth's bedroom.

Brennan immediately pulled out the paperwork from the latest case, perusing the details carefully. Booth sighed as he watched her. He could take the woman out of the workplace, but it seemed he could not take the workplace out of the woman. Reaching over, he took a few papers off of the stack. If she was going to insist on working on them, he might as well help the task to go a little faster.

An hour later, Booth drew his pen across the final sheet in the stack as he signed his name. Setting the papers on the bedside table, he turned to see that Brennan was still intensely concentrated on her stack of papers, her pen poised above the paper, her eyes squinting at whatever she was reading. She had pulled her hair back in a loose ponytail, and strands of it now hung down around her face. Her work clothes had been traded for yoga pants and a t-shirt which rode up on her stomach, exposing a small sliver of pale skin. Booth did not think he had ever seen a more beautiful sight. "Bones?" he questioned softly.

"Hmm?" she turned to him, her brilliant blue eyes locking with his, and he was lost.

"Whattya say we put the paperwork away for tonight?" he suggested.

"But I wasn't finished yet," she protested as one hand closed over hers and the other removed the papers from her grip, placing them with the others on the nightstand.

"It can wait 'til tomorrow," he murmured, leaning forward to capture her lips with his before she could protest further. She leaned into the kiss, her hands fisting the fabric of his t-shirt to pull him closer. He went willingly, letting his hands wrap around her neck to pull her body close to his. Reaching behind him, he shut off the lamp before pushing against her so that she lay back in bed with him hovering over her, his lips still gliding smoothly over hers, his tongue insistently probing her mouth. Her hands were now tracing the lines of his muscles beneath his shirt, and he felt himself beginning to harden at the simple touch. She drove him crazy, no doubt about that, in more ways than one in fact. But this fact only made him love her more, more than anyone that he had ever loved before.

His hands moved leisurely down her sides as he applied a gentle pressure. When he reached the bare skin that had been taunting him for the entire hour they were filling out paperwork, he took his time exploring it, letting his fingers travel over it slowly, hearing her soft moan at the contact. She insinuated her hands beneath his shirt, and he felt a fire travel through him as she touched bare flesh. She raised the shirt up, and he obediently raised his arms above his head so that she could remove it. When he returned his attention to her body, his hands had ventured slightly higher, his fingers still tracing circles on her abdomen, and his lips moved to her ear. He ran his teeth over the smooth cartilage on the side of her ear, nipping it lightly, eliciting a groan. He grinned. He had learned early on that that particular spot was a sweet spot for her, and he used this knowledge often.

His lips continued to tease her, his tongue tracing her jawline before he attacked her neck with both teeth and tongue, feeling her squirm beneath him. His hands still remained on her abdomen. After a few minutes of teasing, she seemed to decide to give him a taste of his own medicine; raising her body up slightly, she brought her lips to his bare chest, pressing open-mouthed kisses against his skin. His groan came out louder than he had expected, and he immediately clamped his mouth shut, remembering the three sleeping kids in the apartment.

"Someone needs to learn how to be quiet," she admonished, her mouth now at his pectorals. He took the inside of his cheek between his teeth to prevent another groan at the contact.

"Yeah, well someone's not making it easy," he countered, trying desperately to ignore the feel of her lips against his skin. His hands also moved to remove her shirt, a task she readily helped him with before returning to her previous attentions. He lowered himself so that his body was directly on top of hers, loving the feel of the skin-to-skin contact between their bare chests as his mouth met hers in a hungry kiss. Their legs tangled together while his hands reached up and removed the hair tie from her hair, tossing it to the side before running his fingers through her silky locks.

They continued teasing and kissing for a few minutes, letting their arousal heighten. As Booth reached to remove Brennan's underwear, however, he heard a sound which made them both freeze. The baby monitor came to life, transmitting Noah's wails into the room. Booth shut his eyes, hoping he was imagining the sound, but unfortunately, the wails continued, and Brennan moved away from him, already gathering clothes. "I'll get him," she said, pulling his t-shirt over her head. He nodded, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath in an attempt to calm down.

As he shifted, trying to find a more comfortable position, he heard a small voice remark from the doorway, "Daddy?"

"Yeah, Bub?"

"I had that nightmare again, the one with the bear. Can I sleep in here with you?"

Booth sighed. "Okay, Bub. Come on." He patted the bed beside him, and Parker climbed in, snuggling against his father's body. Booth's arm went around his son, his hand playing with Parker's blond curls. In a few minutes, Parker had fallen asleep once more. Booth continued to run his fingers through the boy's hair gently, loving the feel of his small, warm body curled up against his side. He never had enough moments like these, times when he could relax with his son, listening to Parker's steady breathing. In his opinion, it was moments like these which truly defined fatherhood. Sure, it was important to spend time with Parker, to have fun with him, but anyone could take a kid to the park or the zoo or a hockey game. But being able to comfort his son at night after a bad dream—that was what being a father was all about, and that was something he cherished.

A short time later, Brennan returned to the room. "Noah's asleep again. And Kristen's up and wants to sleep with us." She stepped aside to reveal Kristen standing behind her, her eyes wide and doe-like.

"The more the merrier," Booth whispered, patting the space on his other side, his hand still moving through Parker's curls. Brennan saw Parker asleep against his father and looked up at Booth with a smile. "Bad dream," Booth explained. She nodded in understanding before also climbing into the bed. Turning his head, Booth leaned over his son to press a kiss to Brennan's forehead. He felt Kristen curling against his other side, and he used his other arm to pull her close, unable to suppress a smile. It was not exactly the ending he had anticipated to the night, but he certainly could not complain.

Noah woke twice more during the night, but Booth managed to extricate himself from the bed each time without waking up the other three. When he awoke in the morning, he smelled coffee and bacon grease, and he heard muffled noises in his kitchen. Glancing at the clock, he realized that it was already 8:30, and it seemed he was alone in the bed. Rubbing sleep out of his eyes, he stood and found a pair of sweatpants, pulling them on before making his way to the kitchen.

As he passed the living room, he noticed Noah awake, and he lifted the baby from his crib, cuddling him against his chest as he continued to the kitchen. When he reached the kitchen, he smiled at the sight before him. Kristen stood on a small stool, carefully moving eggs around with a spatula. Parker was seated on the counter, focused intently on the toaster, and Brennan handled the bacon. Walking over, Booth placed a kiss in Parker's curls and one on Kristen's head before approaching Brennan, pressing his body against hers as he bent to kiss her neck.

She turned, and their lips met for a few seconds, an action which elicited looks of disgust from the older children. When they pulled apart, Booth rested his forehead on hers. "Good morning," he muttered.

"Good morning," she answered, smiling. "The kids woke about an hour ago. We watched some television, but they were growing restless, so I thought it best to make breakfast. We were trying not to wake you."

"Mmm, thank you." He kissed her again before moving away. "So, what's on the agenda for today?" he questioned.

"I was thinking of doing some shopping," Brennan replied. "Kristen and Noah will need more clothes and toys, and I thought you and Parker might be able to help me pick out a television."

"You're getting a tv?" Parker inquired, his eyes wide.

"I thought that it would be a wise decision given the amount of time you and your father spend at my apartment and the fact that Kristen is now living with me."

"Cool! Daddy and I'll get you a really good one, right?"

"Of course, Bub."

"I was also going to look at apartments. With both Noah and Kristen living with me now, I think it's time for me to find something bigger. I thought maybe I could enlist your help in that."

His grin grew wider, a feat he did not believe possible until it happened. "Yeah, Bones, I'll definitely help with that."


	9. Chapter 9

Cam sighed as she walked out of the clothing store and into the Saturday morning crowd, the bag with her purchases already cutting off the circulation in her hand. She suddenly remembered why she hated shopping malls so much. It seemed like every way she turned, there were ten different people blocking her path. Trying to control her frustration, she ducked around a rather large woman, narrowly avoiding being hit by a stray shopping bag. At last, she managed to find a small open area, and she gratefully stopped to adjust the bag on her arm into a more comfortable position. As she moved the bag, she happened to glance ahead and saw someone she had never expected to see in a shopping mall.

Temperance Brennan was making her way carefully through the crowd about fifteen feet from where Cam stood. The doctor's left hand clasped that of a small girl who Cam had been introduced to the previous day. Next to Brennan stood her partner, his hand on the small of her back, a position in which Cam had often seen it. He held Noah in his other arm, and Parker had a tight grip on the leg of his pants. There was something different about the partners, though, something Cam had not seen before. It was almost as if they stood closer than normal, their usual air of professionalism absent. Of course, she could just be seeing things. There was so much talk around the lab about what was or was not happening between those two.

Brennan looked up from her conversation with Booth, noticing Cam watching them. For a moment, Cam thought she saw a blush creep over Brennan's cheeks, but she quickly dismissed this sight as simply a trick of the light. Brennan did not blush. Cam did notice, however, that they moved apart slightly though Booth's hand did not leave her back. "Dr. Saroyan," Brennan greeted when they approached.

"Hello, Dr. Brennan. What brings you to the mall?"

"We were just picking up some things for the kids," Brennan answered.

"And a tv!" Parker exclaimed. Booth chuckled.

"A tv?" Cam looked to Brennan, surprised.

"Well, I thought that with Kristen and Noah, a television would be a logical thing to have," Brennan defended. Cam nodded.

"It seems reasonable. Have you picked one out?"

"No, we were just on our way over there. Would you like to join us?" When Brennan asked the question, Booth gave her a look that Cam could not quite decipher.

"Actually, Dr. Brennan, I have a few more items I need to pick up before I head home. It was nice to see you. And you, too, Seeley."

"We'll see you on Monday, Camille," Booth said, nodding to her. She smiled at them as they continued on their way. Kristen said something, and Booth leaned across Brennan to answer her, his response putting a wide grin on her face. Cam watched as he straightened, unconsciously moving closer to Brennan. Cam studied them closely as they walked around the corner. Yes, something was definitely going on between them. She just could not figure out what.

Once they were out of Cam's sight, Booth leaned over to whisper, "She knows."

"Knows what?"

"About us."

"How would she know about us? We never did anything which would raise her suspicions."

"I've known Cam for a long time. Trust me, she knows."

They were soon distracted from their conversation, however, as they entered the electronics store. Parker and Booth were immediately drawn to a large plasma screen television near the front of the store which was showing an animated movie that Parker apparently recognized. Brennan watched in amusement as father and son both stared at the screen, Booth possibly drooling a little over the television. She shook her head. There were some things about Booth she was sure that she would never understand.

When they finally left the mall at 1:00, their purchases filled up the entire backseat and trunk of Booth's SUV, and that was without the 52" television she had bought which was being delivered to her apartment later that night. As they drove, Brennan pulled out a map and also a page from the newspaper where she had circled the apartments she wanted to look at. Kristen and Parker were happily occupied with a couple of their new toys, so Booth decided they could spend at least a couple hours looking at apartments before they would have to find another means of entertainment.

The first two apartments they saw were unimpressive, and neither one was expecting much from the third. Booth had been driving for about twenty minutes when Brennan remarked, "You're lost."

"I'm not lost," he argued.

"Then where are we?"

"Somewhere outside DC," he replied vaguely.

"You're lost," she repeated. He glared at her.

"You're the one with the map. You tell me where to go."

"I told you. You should've taken that turn ten minutes ago."

"And I told you that that would take you in the exact wrong direction for where you want to go. Give me the map."

"No, Booth, you're driving."

"Bones, just give me the map."

"If you had just listened to me-"

"I was listening-"

"You were not listening; you completely missed the turn-"

"Which wasn't right anyway."

"You can't know that."

"I've been driving in DC for awhile now, Bones. I know the area."

"Then tell me where we are."

"I would if you'd give me the map!"

"I'm not giving you the map."

"Bones-"

"Daddy, I have to go," Parker interrupted from the back. Both adults stopped arguing, and Booth glanced at his son in the rearview mirror.

"Is it urgent?"

"Yeah. I _really _need to go."

"Okay, Bub, let me find somewhere to stop." Booth began looking for a gas station, and five minutes later, they pulled up outside a QuickTrip. Once both Parker and Kristen had used the restroom, they started back in the direction from which they had come.

"Okay, I think you should go back to the last major intersection we passed, and then we can. . . Booth, what are you doing?" Brennan queried as he turned the car onto a small side road.

"There's something I want to look at," he said, glancing out his window at the open house sign which he had glimpsed on the way to the gas station. It was a long shot, he knew, but something was pulling him to check it out.

"We're supposed to be looking at apartments."

"This won't take long. Just humor me, Bones." She huffed and crossed her arms over her chest but gave no further argument.

They pulled up in front of a house that looked to be badly in need of repair. The lawn was overgrown, the driveway cracked, and shingles were missing from the roof. A woman in her early thirties sat outside, her eyes lighting up when she watched their car stop in front of the house. "Oh, so someone did see the sign," she enthused as they stepped out of the car. "I was so worried that no one would see it. You see, my boss wants to get this house turned over quickly, but. . . I'm babbling aren't I? I'm Kelly. Kelly Butler. With Baker Real Estate." She held out a well-manicured hand.

"Seeley Booth. And this is Dr. Temperance Brennan, Parker, Kristen, and Noah," Booth introduced as both he and Brennan shook the woman's hand.

"So I guess you wanted to see the house then."

"That would be nice." Booth followed her inside carrying Noah, the others trailing behind. Brennan shot Booth a questioning glance, but he simply ignored her.

"The woman who owned this house passed away a couple weeks ago, leaving the house to her grandkids. They both already have homes, however, so they put this one up for sale. Now, it's not in the best condition since she was unable to keep it up during the last few years, but with a few repairs, it would be a beautiful home." She led them through the house, pausing to show them each room. Booth listened to her attentively, examining each room closely. Brennan watched him carefully as they continued the tour. After three years as his partner, she was learning to read him, and she knew immediately what that look meant. He wanted the house.

They did not talk about the house at all as they made their way back toward DC. The real estate agent's card was burning a hole in Booth's pocket, but he did not bring the subject up, knowing that Brennan needed time to sort through things in her head. When she was ready, they could talk about it; until that time, he was content to let her be. They looked through the final apartment but left quickly, for Parker and Kristen were growing restless. And if they were being honest with themselves, Booth and Brennan were growing restless, too. None of the apartments seemed to fit what they wanted. Booth had a feeling that he knew exactly why, but he was going to let Brennan figure that one out on her own.

They drove to Brennan's house, and Brennan helped Parker with learning the bones of the body as Booth worked through part of the reading workbook and some basic addition with Kristen. Booth cooked dinner that night while Brennan finished up both lessons. The television came while Booth was cooking, and Brennan showed the delivery men where to put it as Booth emerged from the kitchen, wiping his hands on a dish towel. He promised to set everything up for her later before returning to the dinner. After dinner, they played a board game they had bought for the kids until it was time for baths and bed. Parker insisted on a story, so all four ended up curled up on Brennan's bed as Booth read one of the new books they had bought that day, his voice changing in all the appropriate places and making the kids giggle. They both fell asleep in Brennan's bed, and Booth let them be, returning to the living room to set up the television as promised.

While he was fiddling with the tv, Brennan finally broached the subject of the house. "I don't really think I need five bedrooms, Booth."

He turned to her, confused for a moment before comprehension crossed over his face. "You never know, Bones. Besides, a little extra space never hurt."

"It's more space to clean."

"Hire a maid," he suggested, knowing that she honestly did not care. She was simply making excuses, avoiding the real reason she did not want the house.

"The house is in pretty bad shape."

"I'll fix it up. A buddy of mine's a contractor; he wouldn't mind helping out. And I don't think it's as bad as it looks. A lot of the problems can be fixed by some cleaning and a new paint job. And the price is good. Just think about it, Bones."

"A house is a big step."

"It is. But you've already taken a big step by bringing Kristen and Noah into your life. Kids need stability, Bones, and a house will give that to them."

"The commute will be longer."

"By five, maybe ten minutes."

"I'm not sure if I can do this, Booth."

"Sure you can."

"I've never been good at settling down."

"Temperance, look at me." He approached her, kneeling in front of her so that he could lock her eyes with his own. "This is a huge step, I won't deny that. But I think you're ready for it. But I'm not going to push you to do anything. I want you to make your own decision. Just don't dismiss the idea immediately, okay?"

"Okay."

"Good." He kissed her shortly before returning to tinkering with the new electronics. Brennan watched him for another minute, considering his words, before reaching for her laptop which sat on the coffee table in front of her. She did not feel like thinking about the house at that particular moment. She would deal with that later.

Opening up her email account, she deleted a couple spam messages, marked a couple from Cam reminding her about some paperwork, typed off a quick email to another anthropology professor who wanted her to speak, and finally came to an email from her publicist. Curious, she opened it, scanning it quickly at first and then reading it more carefully, thinking she had missed something.

"There, Bones, now you should have a working DVD player," Booth declared, emerging from behind the television set.

"My publicist wants me to go on a book tour," Brennan informed him shortly.

"What?"

"A book tour. To promote my next book."

"Yeah, I know what a book tour is. Why are you bringing this up now?"

"She just emailed me. She already has an itinerary planned. Evidently, she expects me to just drop everything to sign some books."

"So you're not going?"

"I suppose I'll have to go."

"Wait, what? A minute ago, you were complaining about how presumptuous your publicist is, and now you're going to do what she asks?"

"She makes a compelling argument as to why it should be done."

"What? She wants to make more money?"

"She pointed out that if I don't do a tour or something similar, it will make it appear that I have something to hide which I don't."

"Since when do you care what other people think?"

"I don't. But she's right; there has been some speculation recently about my personal life, and I would prefer that the lives of those I am close to not be subjected to the same speculation."

Booth's eyes narrowed. "Who's been speculating?" He had not seen anything; admittedly, however, he did not keep up with the celebrity gossip that people seemed to find so fascinating. In his opinion, the way that celebrities chose to live their lives was none of his business and certainly not all that interesting.

"It doesn't matter," Brennan answered quickly, knowing that he would not be happy if he discovered the two articles her publicist had sent her. "The point is, she's right, I should do a tour. It doesn't have to be long; she suggested one that's only two weeks. I've taken longer sabbaticals before; it shouldn't be a problem."

"When did she schedule this tour for?"

"I would leave about a month from now."

"What about any cases I get during that time?"

"One of the interns can assist you. And I'll bring my laptop so that I can still check in with the Jeffersonian and help if needed."

"But this is two whole weeks away from you," Booth whined, sounding very much like Parker when he did not get his way.

Brennan thought for a minute. "How about this? Halfway through, I should be in New York. I'll book plane tickets for you, Parker, and Kristen so that you can come up for the weekend. The kids should love it there, and then we'll only be apart for a week instead of two."

Booth considered her offer. "I'm still going to miss you," he informed her.

"It's only a week, Booth."

"Doesn't matter."

"You're crazy."

"I love you." He moved closer to her, his lips inches from hers.

"I'm still going on the book tour."

"I know."

"You're not going to be able to talk me out of it."

"I'm well aware of that. You're very stubborn."

"I'm-" Her words were cut off by his lips.

"Shut up, Bones," he muttered. And for once, she did.


End file.
